


Hearts of The Wild

by Lady_GothiKa



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Elder Scrolls
Genre: Awkward Romance, Blame Sheogorath, Blood Rituals, Bodyswap, Bosmer in Thedas, Daedric Artifacts, Daedric Princes, Dalish in Skyrim, Dark Brotherhood., Elder Scrolls Lore, Elder Scrolls- Scrolls, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Heavy Angst, Inappropriate Behavior, Lawful Evil Dovahkiin, Lots of confusion, Morrowind- Oblivion and Skyrim References, Not Dovahkiin just a thief with a shady past, Prisoner of the Inquisition, Solas/Lavellan Bromance, Thalmor, Umbra - Freeform, Vulgar Language, Wabbajack, Wayshrines and Eluvians, poor attempt at humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-03-09 15:14:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 68,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13484190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_GothiKa/pseuds/Lady_GothiKa
Summary: While on the run from every capital of Tamriel, a Bosmer girl accepts a job from Neloth to earn gold, only for the Wayshrine to take her to Thedas, too bad the Urn he wanted was already destroyed.Now she has to convince them not to send her back.





	1. All Roads Lead to Home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story begins somewhere around the time after 'What Pride Had Wrought'  
> Starting in Thedas then in Skyrim and ending back in Thedas...
> 
> \+ Comments are loved. 
> 
> {{ This story does contain Elder scrolls Spoilers -- not just Skyrim, I reference Morrowind a lot and same with Oblivion... }}
> 
> The parts of this story that are based in Skyrim are after the main storyline.
> 
> ### 
> 
> [ this story has been re-edited from 13/06/2018 and 3 chapters taken away, cause of horrific writers block and I want to get this story finished!]

 

 

 

 

# All Roads Lead to Home.

 

 

 

 

Chains and shackles shook with a rattily clunk through the hall, slowly followed by the sound hard leather of boots dragging against their will, as a door opened with a loud bang, a blonde girl hissed through her teeth with two guards pushing her forward with a heavy nudge, jolting her feet that were wrapped in chains around her ankles.

 

"Inquisitor Lavellan," A woman strutted in a slow-motion dressed in gold, clipboard in hand, ink pot and a vivid scarlet colored quill. "This is the female we found exiting Lady Morrigan's eluvian, however, we still don't know where she originates, she appears to be elven though she will no divulge us any information of worth."

 

Lavellan crossed his legs and arched his fingers to his chin, "Through the eluvian?- perhaps Corypheus is now sending us gifts, make sure when finding his location we send him a fruit basket," Lavellan nodded his head with a smirk pleased with himself. "Of course Inquisitor, but perhaps--"

 

Short legs stood from the fiery golden dragon throne, "You are a peculiar one aren't you?" his hand reached for her chin lifting it slightly to his line of view, "Inquisitor, we were unsure if she was, in fact, Dalish from those markings she wears on her face, could they be of Dalish origin?" Lavellan took his hand and licked his thumb brushing it over her pale skin, "Rock paint, odd."

 

She blinked her eyes trying to stay quiet, but it was hard with his sticky saliva now on her cheek. "She is elven for sure, has Solas inspected her, maybe he can get something from her...maybe she's a mute?"

 

"No Inquisitor, but that could be an excellent idea." Her hands grasped her quill, the sound of pen scratching against parchment filled the room, "I will now list you the objects we found on her person when we intercepted the prisoner."

 

Josephine coughed loudly as she flicked the paper over on her notepad as the Inquisitor took his seat again.

 

"Ahem, one bow of unknown make, seventy-three arrows, a mortar and pestle, five pounds of unknown plant life, two books; The Lusty Argonian Maid by an unknown author, Crassius Curio and The Wolf Queen volume VII by another unknown author Waughin Jarth."

 

Lavellan interrupted, "Pass me the Lusty Maid one." A guard stepped forward pulling the book from a large sack and passed it firmly to the Inquisitor who took it in hand opening with a smirk leaning back in his chair.

 

"Continue," He called.

 

"Yes of course; fifteen lockpicks, two sapphires, three knives, four daggers of unknown make, a single fork, two rings, a necklace with an unknown symbol."

 

Inquisitor Lavellan chuckled in the distance turning the page of the book. "Excuse me, Josie," He coughed awkwardly.

 

Josephine signed flipping the page over to the back, "A shiv, five large violet crystals, a scroll with an unknown language, a bowl, two mugs, six bottles of Balmora blue, three bottles of mead, seven bottles of what appears to be health elixirs and finally...ONE carrot."

 

Josephine signed heavy taking a large breath placing her clipboard down, "Inquisitor...."

 

"Oh...oh... Right." Lavellan snapped out of a daydream and placed the book down but not before he marked the page, folding it at the corner.

 

"What do you say for your crimes, crimes....?" Lavellan turned to Josie, "What crime did she commit again?"

"None that we are aware of, other than trespassing, but she is hiding information, she could well be a servant for Corypheus."

 

"Mhm, yes... Well, what do you have to say to that?" He crossed his arms, waiting for the young girl to speak.

 

" ~~\--~~ Can I have my carrot back?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darkness and muffled sounds swamped her ears and bag slowly lifted from her head, the light burned her eyes for a moment and she found herself in a room centered with a large wooden table. A quick shake of her hands revealed that they were indeed still shacked together.

 

A tall blond man entered the room from behind, followed by two women, one black-haired, one with red and two male elves.

 

"Start talking, now." Said the female with the black hair.

 

"An Altmer, Khajiit and Talos walk into bar--"

 

The black haired woman slammed her fist down on the table, "You know what I mean!"

 

She swallowed hard, watching the rage in her eyes engulf her slowly, "What do you want to know?"

 

She paced back and forward, her arms crossed, defensive and full of anger, "What your name is, where you are from and what you were doing on the other side of the eluvian?!"

 

Her eyes closed briefly rolling her head back against the chair with a sign, "Why is it always those questions, no one ever asks me if I am happy..."

 

A bold elf moved forward, she was unaware of his origins, though he was strange to look at, "Are you a moth priest?" He shook his head with a smirk, "No, I believe not."

 

"What is your name?" He asked, "I am Solas, this is Faeyln Lavellan, Cassandra, Leliana, and Cullen." He pointed them out with his bony index finger.

 

Thoughts rushed through her mind, she could be anyone here, why be herself, "-My name is-"...she paused..."The Grey Fox."

 

"That is not your name." Leliana spoke up moving forward, her hands behind her back, "Tell us the truth, and only the truth."

 

 

"UGH," She signed loud, creaking her neck to the right, "Raven, if it's really that important. I was born in Greenheart, Valenwood in 4E 171 on the 27th of Second Seed, born under the sign of the Shadow. On the matter of the 'eluvian', I have no idea, I went through a Wayshrine and It took me here, totally by accident I'll have you know.

 

"A Wayshrine?" Solas' leaned against the table with a tilt of his head, "Please go on,"

 

"Jeez, look, I am an elf but that doesn't mean I know shit about everything elven made, it's a large mirror thing made with magic for teleportation..."

 

"Ah, an eluvian..."

 

"No, A Wayshrine." She hissed back, "Neloth's strict instructions where to head to Backlight, find the Wayshrine and travel to somewhere...Tel' something...Er... Shit, this wasn't worth the gold..."

 

"Te'las... Tarasyl'an Te'las?!" Solas's looked concerned.

 

"Yeah, that's the place!"

 

Solas' looked back to Josephine who was writing down everything she was saying.

 

"Raven, what did this 'Neloth' what from here?"

 

"Uhm, he said something about an urn and magical ashes, yeah I know...it sounds crazy, Neloth is little nuts but he pays good enough gold when he isn't blinding me or forcing me to make him tea." Raven stared at Solas intensely, "But you're a wizard too, right?"

 

 

Solas blinked his eyes, "No, not a wizard..."

"But you reek of magic and age, I have been around enough Altmer's, to know it."

 

 

An awkward silence filled the room, she could almost hear all their hearts beat at once.

 

 

 

"I still have some more questions to be answered." Josephine moved forward slowly, quill ready in hand.

 

"What is your last name?"

"Don't have one, I grew up as an orphan."

 

Josephine pursed her lips as she wrote it down, Lavellan stepped forward in her view, "So you're not a Dalish and your not a flat ear... What are you?"

 

Solas' mustered a slight mumbled chuckle towards Lavellan.

 

"Are you asking me of my birth race, that's an odd question... I am a Bosmer." Lavellan tilted his head, "Er...A Wood Elf?"

 

"So you are a Dalish then...just without the vallaslin, which woods do you hail from?"

 

"Woods?- I didn't live in the fucking woods, have you ever heard of the Green Pact?- you don't live in the Woods in Valenwood unless you want to be killed and eaten...and not always in that order."

 

Lavellan gulped in his throat, "No, defiantly not Dalish."

 

Solas faintly chuckled again, "Are you completely sure Inquisitor?"

 

"Yes Solas, I was to be Keeper, if shems were getting turned into pies, I would know."

 

 

"Well, this is a riveting conversion really but---"

 

 

 

"Considering you were about to steal The Urn of Sacred Ashes, what is your past history with crime?" Cullen asked over the top of Solas and Lavellan's bickering.

 

 

"Ah, excuse me?" It was one thing she didn't want to be asked, Raven clenched her jaw and coughed deep in her throat.

 

"Makers breath is it really that bad?!"

 

 

"WHAT, no...no..." She shuffled in her seat, her hands shaking in the shackles, "Well, alright...I was in with the Thieves Guild for awhile, but I swear to Akatosh I got kicked out once I joined the Brotherhood...shit... Just forget what I just said." She closed her eyes... "I meant the Morag Tong, silly me...heh....ah....oh..." Raven looked down and away.

 

"We should just send her back." Cullen shook his head, "We have enough trouble already than to waste Inquisition resources on thieves or whatever that other thing is."

 

"No...no...please don't send me back... I am useful, great at bow... And I am the best thief your money can buy!"

 

"You're sending her back, now." Cullen tapped his finger on the table with demand.

 

"Ah, excuse me, but I feel we could learn a lot about this prisoner if you were to place her in my care..." Solas asked softly.

 

Lavellan nodded towards Solas, "Yes, we could always use more elven women around."

 

 

Cullen signed heavy, "Well at least take her to the dungeons and keep her there when you aren't learning from her, Maker who knows what mischief this Bosmer will cause."  

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this wacky little adventure n_n'


	2. Sneaky Witch Thief.

 

# Sneaky Witch Thief.

 

 

 

 

 

"Do you believe in this Wayshrine thing, if she could come through the eluvian perhaps others could follow." Lavellan walked side by side with Solas, as they made their way down the deep descent of the stairs to the Skyhold dungeons.

"I am truly as baffled as you Inquisitor, though it would prove wise to find out. You must understand that this elven girl is not the same as us, she is of a totally new origin, the secrets she made held may be immense."

 

"I hope you are right Solas." Lavellan's boots crunched against the final step as they advanced their way into the dreary dark dungeon, nothing but their footsteps echoed from the walls and the faint sound of water rushing. "Where's the jailor?" Solas inclined his head, something was off.

 

"She's been knocked out," Lavellan beckoned, a cell door swag open with a loud whinnying creak. "She's gone, we need to have Skyhold searched NOW!"

 

There was nothing but a bare cell with a lock pried open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raven pondered back and forth within the darkened room, this place was remarkably familiar yet so different, things smelt and seemed the same, they talked alike, yet she suspected this wasn't Nirn or even Mundus itself. The sky was completely unfamiliar, having none of the same stars nor the twin moons, Masser and Secunda. This was had to be a different land, no wonder Neloth wanted some of its magical properties.

  
The doorknob in the distance started to turn with a little twist and a creak, with a bright purple cloud covered crouch of her knee, Raven became shadowed within the room. "Is someone in there, I heard footsteps." Lavellan's feet strode softly against the blanketed rug, "you don't have to hide, I won't hurt you..." He dipped his head then shrugged it off, "huh, must have been my imagination."

  
Raven moved behind him, treading discreetly with all her skills she had learned training with the best Shadowscales. Her back arched quickly and her fingers flexible and nimble, she stood slowly and grabbed the male elf from behind muting his mouth with her palm. "Shhh...don't scream." Lavellan jolted as his hands lashed fiercely with a bolt of panic, he attempted to muffle a yell under her gloved hands although it was no use. He closed his eyes concentrating pulling his mana in and letting out a mind blast, pushing Raven back as she swiftly landed on her feet pushing a ward out from her hands shattering the force back at Lavellan thrusting him back further.

 

 

 

  
"SHIT," He fell on his backside across the room, "Creators, what was that?!"

 

Raven rolled forward swiftly on her feet with a shocked look against her face, "What in Oblivion did you do?!" She was as equally stunned to towards his foreign magic as he was to hers.

 

Lavellan scratched his head, "So, you're a mage...explains a lot," he signed feeling the large egg on the back of his head where he hit the wall.

 

"A mage? HA!" Raven laughed with high a pitch chuckle, "Well, that's a first."

 

"But you used magic just then, you're a mage..."

 

Raven seemed confused by his words, this world was stranger than she thought, "No, I have never studied at any college, I assure you."

 

Lavellan turned his head, "I am a mage and have never studied anywhere, magic is something you are gifted with, I grew up in the wilds with my Clan, this life has only come to me recently."

 

"Everyone is born with the ability to use magic, it's a skill not some kind of inborn trait - well unless you are Altmer, those tall bastards are always magicka charged... You grew up in the forests?- no wonder you're a little slow." She lent out a hand to pull him up from the ground.

 

Lavellan took the hand as she swags him up with a quick pull, his head still stung from his own blast of force, "Mana, not magicka sweetheart, and living in the forests isn't so bad."

 

"Alright Witbane, If you want to get eaten by something in the forests, that's your call."

 

Raven herself had been an adventure of some sort, she had almost been to every province of Tamriel, being a thief in the Thieves Guild always took her to new exotic places, through wilds and forests were never her cup of canis root tea, dark alleys and back streets were more what she favored in life.

 

However, somehow she made the exception this one time for her last chance to make enough gold to leave Tamriel all together, somewhere they couldn't track her, somewhere the Dark Brotherhood couldn't follow nor the dragons raining havoc or the plight of the Thalmor.

 

Maybe this was it.

 

"It's Lavellan, not whatever that is, but I prefer Faelyn in polite company,"

 

'In polite company' he's a real milk drinker this one, she thought to herself. Watching him tug his long sleeve shirt down still rubbing the back of his head.

 

"Your clothes are very odd, yet similar..." Lavellan eyed off the deep brown leather and the straps and buckles, the opening at the front and the white blouse underneath.

 

"Thieves Guild armor, it's comfortable and light."

 

"It's unusual." He said pursing his lips.

 

"Yeah, like you're the one to give style tips beige boy." Raven shook her head at the odd elf in front of her, he almost looked the same, perhaps a Breton but the ears and nature of a Bosmer, maybe he was half-blooded, though most likely something different entirely.

 

Lavellan moved his head back with a roll of his eyes, "I want to know more about that magic you wield, come with me, we shall duel in the round yard, it will prove interesting for both sides..."

 

With his hands placed firmly behind his back, he walked to his door as he lifted his head with a grin, "Come now." Raven swallowed deep with a lump in her throat, she only knew so much about magic not that she was about to admit it to him.  
 

 

 

 

 

"Solas, I found the prisoner, call Cullen and meet us both at the round yard, our new friend has different magic, none that I have ever seen, we should observe it."

 

Solas pushed his papers down on his desk and strode over with his bare feet slapping against the cold stone, "New magic, truly?" Lavellan nodded with a brazen smile, "Indeed, be swift Solas, you will not want to miss this."

 

With a nod of his head, Solas left is fresco through the door and over the battlements to Cullen's office.

 

 

Raven stood looking down at the slightly muddy pit of round yard, did he really expect her to duel him...in here... She jumped the wooden fence as her boots slugged into the wet grass, "Ew," She moaned. her hands and back felt empty from the lack of weight from her bow, she had never gone anywhere unarmed before.

 

A loud oomph came from behind her as Lavellan strode forward swiftly with what looked like a staff in hand, "A staff, really?" Raven rolled her eyes towards the elf in beige. "Yes, I use a staff, don't get smart with me." He smirked, "Though I suppose I can't use it if you are unarmed." He placed it down with the single drop of his slender elven fingers.

 

"What magic did you cast beforehand?" He moved his feet, slowly pacing.

 

"A ward, a lesser one but they tend to be powerful enough against inferior spells," She grinned back.

 

"Oh, my inferior magic...you wound me..." He laid a hand on his chest and with a sad puppy dog frown.

 

 

"Inquisitor!" Solas came running over with a pant of air, "Are we ready to start?" Solas clenched the wooden railings in his hands as Cullen, the tall blonde haired human moved forward with a large sword ready at the belt. "Am I some kind of research experiment?" She signed remembering all the things Neloth had put her through.

 

"No, no... Consider it a learning opportunity!" Solas glowed with a lightness to his voice, "That sounds like an experiment to me," She hissed with a snarl.

 

"Start with casting a ward again," Lavellan asked, "I will throw a simple fireball, nothing you can't handle, I promise."

 

Raven shrugged, flicking her fingers with a shake and brought up the Ward with both hands and her legs arched ready for impact. Lavellan rounded his mana forming a small circular mass of fire in his palm as he threw it at Raven with a frizzly crackle, the fire simply turned to ash on impact.

 

"See!" Lavellan grinned, "Solas, have you ever seen anything like that?"

 

Solas arched his head utterly in awe of what he had just seen, "Astounding, simply fascinating!" He gusted with a simper.

 

"What was that exactly?" Cullen asked, he wasn't sure what he just saw but if mages could do that, it wasn't good.

 

"It appeared to be a form of gravity magic, like a mind blast but a shield to protect the caster, almost like a barrier, but more complete! - You must have astronomical amounts of focus, how many years did you practice for such a gift?"

 

"Er..." Raven paused scratching her head, "I learned in a book I stole from the Imperial City off a College student after he didn't pay up for the month, -I learned it in about ten minutes."

 

 

Solas went silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Solas would get very excited about the idea of new magic... XD  
> And as you can tell, Lavellan and him are very much besties. 
> 
>  
> 
> Just to put it out there, I have never read a Elder Scrolls\Dragon Age crossover before.. but I do know a lot come with Language barriers, but I didn't bother with it...  
> And I really didn't want a Dovahkiin character because I wanted to do something fresh.
> 
> (Strictly moral characters aren't really my thing) 
> 
>  ---------------------------
> 
> -Elder Scrolls fact of the day-
> 
> Did you know there is supposedly over 20 breeds of Khajiit?- ranging from Alfiq's that are practically house cats to Ohmes that are fur-less, tail free and more resemble Mer like Bosmers, though each breed is born due to the influences of Nirn's two moons, Masser and Secunda.
> 
> I love Khajiit's.  
> Crazy moon worshipping, sugar loving, fur lickers.


	3. How to Reach The Cloud District.

 

# How to Reach The Cloud District.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Can you cast a fire spell?" Solas asked.

 

"Do goblins live in the sewers... Yes, of course, I can." Raven clenched a small amount of fire within her clenched hand as Solas reached out grasping her palm and inspecting the unusual fire.

 

"Odd, it appears to be unlike- It would seem your magic is different entirely, this magicka you mentioned must be the cause, though it's hard to say if it is superior."

 

"If you have to guess, it probably is." Raven shrugged, she doubted these mages would be as strong as the few lefts of House Telvanni she had met in her travels.

 

"Perhaps," Solas paused with a faint smile, "Can you cast other elements as well?"

 

Raven rolled her eyes as she turned to face Solas, her hands drifted to her hips as she tilted her head fed up with their endless experiments, "I can't but others can, I know mostly illusion magic... Speaking of illusion's would it be so much to ask for my stuff back?"

 

"Cassandra is having our experts analyze it, Dagna seems quite taken with that bow of yours-- And the scroll."

 

Raven paused her breath felt shallow in her chest and her lungs ached for air, "Please don't tell me you've been trying to read it, it could very well cause blindness and lot of other naughty things, in fact you should just give it back...or better yet do you have a vault, throw it in there--yes, do that."

 

Lavellan seemed curious, too curious, "What does it do exactly?"

 

"I am not sure of its full power, but nothing good ever comes from these things, if you want to learn more, ask your moth priest." She pointed to Solas.

 

"I am not--"

 

Solas' voice was cut off as I short man walked from The Herald's Rest Tavern, he was one of the strangest beings she had ever seen. With a swift jump of the rails, she strode over to him, looking down at the short man.

 

"By Azura, that's the worst case of rockjoint I have ever seen!- Someone get me a root pulp and an elf cup cap!" The small man looked up confused, "You poor thing, you must be suffering greatly!"

Varric coughed, "And least someone is noticing." He shrugged looking back to Lavellan, "Is this the new kid?"

 

"Yes Varric, she's just a tad confused." Lavellan mustered a slight grin.

 

"I am not confused, this little man is riddled with disease... How he is still moving about is remarkable to be honest, back sixteen years ago before the advance of health and disease elixirs, you'd have to simply drop everything down to your breeches and run for help, oh dear..."

 

"Yes, well that's nice kid... But truly I am okay." Varric insisted.

 

"Are you sure, I could brew a poultice, something to fix....whatever you are suffering from?"

 

"The only thing he suffering from is your presence," Lavellan chuckled.

Raven turned around and snarled.

 

 

 

Long hours past, some off yelling and endless debates from the one they call Cassandra, she insisted that she should remain in the cell or at least shackled while walking around, and always accompanied by a templar to watch for any suspicious behavior.

 

Lavellan hand convinced them after hours that she was no harm, with his word finally easing pressure off everything the large blond man Cullen returned her sack of spoils to her in the tavern.

 

With large hessian sack at her feet, she sat at the bar, sipping on the worst mead she had ever had, it might as well just been watered down honey and water. "Cabot, don't you have any sujamma?" She asked disparate for a good strong drink.

 

"No, you just drink that mead, that's all you can afford, all that gold you have been paying me with isn't worth nothing!" He slammed a cup down as he grabbed another to polish.

 

"Fine, I'll just make my own sujamma..." She scoffed getting down on the bar stool as she moved across the room to see Cullen sitting alone at a table with a mug in hand.

 

Raven pulled back a seat and sat down with a smile facing the man who looked uncomfortably like a Nord. "What do I have to do, to get you to buy a lady a drink?" Cullen chuckled, "Maker who knows, just don't go around casting that magic for one." Raven scooted her chair in as Cullen called for a bottle of wine off the barkeeper Cabot.

 

"You have my word, good sir." She bowed her head with a flick of her hair.

 

Cabot swayed over slowly bottle in hand and placed it down with a thump on the table, snarling at Raven, "At least the Commander pays with real gold."

 

"Maker," Cullen signed, with a shake of his head as Cobalt left.

 

"Maker?" Raven asked as she pulled two mugs together.

 

"The Maker, our Creator." Cullen smiled pulling the cork from the bottle with a loud pop.

 

"You only have one God?" That was a curious thing, though life could be more simple with just one she thought.

 

"Yes, well...no... There are so-called Elven gods, our Inquisitor only believes in them, but you'll find that most of us follow The Chantry, what about you?"

 

"In Tamriel, we have a bunch, though The Imperial Pantheon seems to overrule other provinces. The Nine Divines are our gods, well right now... Akatosh, Arkay, Dibella, Julianos, Kynareth, Mara, Stendarr, and Zenithar." Raven recited.

 

"That's a lot," Cullen smiled as he sipped on his glass, "What about the one that was left out?"

 

"Talos? He was first Tamriel's first emperor that ascended to godhood, however, it was only really the Nords that got upset when his shrines were pried from the chapels. I personally don't believe in much the Thalmor go on about, but I never understood how a man could become a god... I place my alliance to Auriel, Akatosh, after all, I am a direct descendant of him." She smiled bringing the cup to her lips, tasting the fine aged wine on the tip of her tongue.

 

"So tell me," Raven brought the cup down on the old wooden table with a cluck, "about this maker of yours, does he grant things or...where does he reside?"

 

Cullen coughed, "Well, he used to reside in the Golden City within the Fade...and he grants us faith and hope."

 

"The Fade...like the void?" Raven narrowed her eyes sus to what Cullen was saying.

"Well yes." He smiled, pouring more wine into his glass and then hers.

 

Raven laughed with a high pitch laugh as Cullen stared oblivious to what she was laughing about or what was so funny, This man sent you a woman didn't he...some powerful lady?"

 

"Er...yes...Andraste."

 

She shook her head with a smirk, "You guys are so awesome, worshiping Sithis."

 

"Sithis?"

 

"The Dread Father, Cullen... He is the void, the darkness, when you kill you send the souls of the dead to him and his Lady Bride The Night Mother..."

 

 

 

 

Cullen signed clenching his head, just thinking of this was making his head spin, his mind already ached for a reprieve. He closed his eyes as the world began to feel silent around him.

 

"Hey- Cullen..." She nudged him with a soft push on his breastplate, "Mhm-" he opened his eyes as his fingers combed through his short blond locks.

 

"What's wrong, you kind of just drifted off there for a bit," Raven asked concerned.

 

"Lyrium withdraws, you don't have any cure for that back home do you?" He half smirked with a charming grin.

 

"Mhm, maybe... What's this Lyrium?"

 

Cullen mumbled while clenching his head, "It's mineral-like substance, minded by dwarves in the Deep Roads, It's used by the Chantry to grant us to develop talents to keep mages in order."

 

She had no idea what to say to that, why would anyone need to control mages, mages weren't anymore more powerful than someone with skilled talents. "Well, there's your problem Cullen, you silly man, of course, you're going to get sick if you start eating rocks." She shook her head, these people extremely confusing why would anyone ingest rocks for magical abilities.

 

"Then how do you gain mana, if it is not for Lyrium?" He asked puzzled, whether it was because she thought he was eating rocks, or the fact her kind didn't have lyrium at all was strange.

 

"Plant life, alchemy..." Raven pulled up her sack and placed it on her lap, the two things she wanted back so dearly were still gone, her bow and her scroll. "Look, I'll give you little something, it'll take the edge off eating rocks, I promise..."

 

Cullen tilted his head as Raven grasped his cup and started pouring in a deep purple liquid, "What is that?" He asked as it started to fill the cup, "It's the best nightshade and refined moon sugar, you can buy...I picked it up while in Blacklight off an Argonian dork worker."

 

Well, that didn't sound too bad, it, after all, he thought, "What's it called exactly?"

"This Balmora Blue, but you can just call it Skooma if you want."

 

"Skooma?- What's that?- What's it do?" He asked.

 

"All you need to know is once you drink it, you'll get to The Cloud District."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh... Skooma Cullen...
> 
>  -Dwarves do not exist in Tamriel, Dwemer are not Dwarves... (Well name wise yes, but they aren't short...they are elves with long beards)
> 
> \-----------------------
> 
>  
> 
> -Elder Scrolls fact of the day-#2
> 
> The way Dunmer look is actually a curse from Azura.  
> Azura cursed the Tribunal and the Chimer people, turning their skin to ash and their eyes red, making them the Dunmer.


	4. Black and White.

 

 

#  **Black and White.**

 

 

 

  
Nights were the longest, as soon as the sun went down and the stars shimmered in the sky, the world felt different under the two moons, now only one. The air in her lungs felt the same yet odd, she missed the sounds of bellowing silt striders in Blacklight and the strange yet unusual people.

 

Three drops of skooma, two tablespoons of honey, one half of a health elixir and the other of half of a stamina she mixed together. The taste wasn't appealing, it stung her throat with every swallow of the syrupy concoction, but it would mean she didn't have to sleep, and no sleep meant the Dark Brotherhood couldn't track her nor anyone else, sleep wasn't an option, not now, not anytime soon.

 

Raven watched the stars in the sky, shifty and trying to guess their patterns to no avail, the night went on for a lifetime, until the first hint of glare from the rising dawn began to cross over the courtyard and into her window.

 

Books on the Fade provided no insight why a bunch of these people would want to worship Sithis, but it could be worse, at least Sithis was real, though he never gave anything back darkness and the promise of the void once you come to your own demise, worshiping a Deadric Prince would get them further, at least they were helpful in times of need.

 

Two knocks came from the door, separated by a long pause then a third, "I know you are in there," she drifted to the door, curling her fingers around the doorknob, the breeze from the chilled mountain tops filled the room and prickled her bare thighs under her long lost white tunic.

 

"Faelyn Lavellan," She responded, "What draws you to my humble abode?"

 

He smiled wide as he brought out a bowl behind his back, "Breakfast?" She nodded and stepped aside as he wandered into the room, "Did you sleep soundly? - I didn't, but I do like to check up on my companions from time to time. A lovely thing you have done to this room kinda smells like Cassandra's boots though." He snuffed his nose up and placed the ivory porcelain bowl down on the table with a faint clunk. "What have you been brewing in here?"

 

"Nothing attractive, I can assure you of that," Her voice spoke up as a seat was taken back on the bed with her legs neatly crossed over her thighs, "And no, I didn't sleep well..." Lavellan grabbed a strawberry from the bowl taking a bite from the tip, "You should see Solas, he'll help you sleep, probably even tuck you in and get a warm glass of milk." He laughed with a smile.

 

"Falling asleep isn't the problem, it's what happens when you are asleep, even the greatest thief is vulnerable while they slumber," Lavellan watched her as reached over and dipped her slender fingers into the bowl plucking the sweet fruit with a quick squeeze. "But how long can you keep that up for?"

 

"It's been about two seasons since I slept..."

 

Lavellan was speechless, how could someone survive that little alone have enough willpower to keep that up, staying up one night from the Fade was a chore for him. "Wouldn't that turn you almost tranquil, being separated from the Fade so long?"

 

Raven had pondered that, she had studied that in the many books found in her room. Things written of this Void of here, it seemed almost like a plane of Oblivion they drifted too when they dreamed. "No, there was none of this Fade, where I am from, there are similar things; dreaming worlds and realms of Oblivion, but no was where one's soul goes while they sleep. I have been meaning to ask you about this, 'Tranquil' though." The word had come up a few times in the books, a being without a soul, yet still lived, it was almost like a walking soul gem.

 

"I guess they are new to you too then?" Lavellan had never seen a tranquil nor even heard of one till his first arrival to the Inquisition, if this realm she was from had no Fade, then there would be no tranquil.

 

"Again, we have spells... Soul trapping to be exact, it works in the way of holding one's soul after death, but your technique appears to be in reversal, to take one's soul while the body still lives..." Raven paused for a moment turning the berry in her fingers, "It seems outrageously barbaric."

 

Lavellan nodded his head agreeably, at least there was one thing they could see eye to eye. Raven moved to her sack at the end of her bed and pulled out a long black crystal passing it to him, his hand held it, it was smooth and a slight whisper filled his ears as he held it close. "Is there a soul in this?"

 

Raven nodded, "Indeed there is," we use them for enchanting and creating, "In your world, lifeless husks create your weapons and do enchanting, and in mine, their souls do instead...strange isn't it?" Lavellan clenched his jaw, it was a slightly unnerving and a shudder went down his spine as he looked down at the cold black crystal in his hand, he held the life...a soul in the palm of his hand.

 

"Would Soultrapping a being that comes back from death, stop it in theory?" Lavellan's mind rushed fast with the idea, the anchor pulsed ever so lightly with the thrill of the idea. "In theory, yes...it should work, though you'd need a very large soulgem and someone or something to cast the soul trap, my spells along would not suffice...or though..." Raven grabbed the sack close and pulled out an old dusty dry journal, and opened it quickly facing it towards Lavellan. "See this..." Her finger pointed to a deep black blade illuminated in a purple shading, "I have been trying to track it down for half my life, it is the treasure of a lifetime, it's name is Umbra... It can soul trap anything."

 

"What about the large enough gem, where would you find such a blade?" His hands clenched the journal bring it close, her sketches beautifully done and showed fascinating illustration.

 

"First you must understand Faelyn, the blade does not come without a price, it is cursed...as all-powerful things are from my world, it was forged by the behest of a Daedric Prince, Clavicus Vile, it is an artifact of a demon god. The blade originated many lifetimes ago, a blade designed with the sole purpose of entrapping the souls of its victims. An ancient witch of the name Naenra Waerr created the blade at a request of the Daedric lord of Trickery as a tool of mischief and mayhem, which would send him souls from the mortal realm. Naenra created the sword, but it was unstable. Vile gave the witch a piece of his power to be imbued in the sword, which stabilized the weapon. However, Naenra supposedly tricked him, as the piece of Vile's power imbued in the sword became a sentient being which called itself Umbra. Naenra was executed for her evil creation, but not before she hid the sword. The sword took on a life of its own, remaining hidden until a worthy wielder was found, and would slowly take over control of the blade's wielder."

 

Raven paused turning the page of the journal over, "It once belonged to the Nerevarine, a Dunmer hero, elven-like us, help rid the world of evil and sickness that once plagued the land. Eight years later the sword passed hand to hand, never staying with one wielder for long, the blade made it's way to the Champion of Cyrodill, who tricked Vile into helping him yet instead the Champion kept the blade in their possession, after that it becomes hazy, maybe it's lost or perhaps it finally made its way back to Vile... No one knows."

 

"So there's no hope, in finding it?" Lavellan asked.

 

"No, we just have to summon a certain pup for answers."

 

His head nodded briefly if it meant stopping Corypheus once for good, summoning any kind of dog would be worth it, "So tell me you have an idea about a stone big enough, and please tell me it's not cursed too?"

 

"No," She smiled with a grin, "And I know exactly where to find it, it's just...well it belongs to the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood and well they are trying to kill me."

 

"That's why you aren't sleeping?- cause you're afraid they'll find you?"

 

"One of them I suppose, but I will help you if you promise protection on your part."

 

Lavellan nodded, he could at least grant that in return if she was to help with his Corypheus problem. "So, what and where is it?"

 

"It goes by the name of Azura's star and it belongs to the one and only Dovahkiin, it's in Skyrim."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who actually got Umbra in Oblivion and gave it back to Vile... seriously... it was the best blade ever and it weighed 0kg... 
> 
> \--  
> Just so you know, our lil TES character is gonna freak the f*ck out when she finds out Solas can control dreams...that is some shady stuff in Elder Scrolls, Miraak did that, (He was evil)  
> Vaermina did it, (She is evil)
> 
> DAGOTH UR DID IT, (HE WAS 'KINDA' EVIL) 
> 
> To be honest, she's going to think he is some kind of reincarnation of Dagoth... (for those who didn't play Morrowind)  
> Dagoth Ur created a Blight and tormented his followers through their dreams.
> 
> Actually some of Dagoth Ur motives where the same as Solas' to make things worse... 
> 
> So...from this moment on I am christening Solas as 'Feny-Ur'  
> Now all he needs is a Loin cloth, grow out those fingernails and get a sun mask... at least he's already got the voice. 
> 
>  
> 
> -Elder Scrolls Fact of the Day-  
> #3
> 
> There are rumours of Argonians that have contracted a unique form of lycanthropy, and rather than becoming werewolves upon transformation, become creatures known as Werecrocodiles. They lurk in isolated swamps and spread the disease.
> 
>  
> 
> How badass is that...


	5. Virgin Blood.

 

 

# Virgin Blood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five hundred gold pieces were placed into a mosaic bowl in the center of Solas' fresco, his desk had been shoved and moved off to the side. Five soulgems where placed around the room lined up to form a summoning circle, it was almost complete yet one component still remained.

 

Though it was going to have to wait...

 

"Excuse me, but what do you think you're... Are you summoning something in MY fresco?!"

 

He was awfully moody for a moth priest, "Ah, maybe...but it's for a good cause." Raven's fingers straightened up the dark violet crystals making sure they were in line, everything had to be perfect. "Yet summoning spirits into the heart of the Inquisition seems unwise to me." Solas snarled as he moved into the center his bare feet moving over the summoning altar with care, "Please do tell, what you are summoning at least?"

 

"Oh, nothing really..." She moved over onto her knees and quietened her voice with a subtle hum, "Just a Daedric Prince's pet pouch." Words were said quickly.

 

"Pardon me? I must have misheard that..."

 

Raven didn't answer back, ignoring Solas with her back turned and avoiding eye contact she focused on the summoning ring. "I am going to take your silence as in you do intend to summon a 'Daedric'...demon... 'Prince?'..."

 

Solas sounded more confused than anything, he sounded like a man who hated not knowing.

 

"A dog, not the Lord himself."

 

"Ah, I see... And this dog is going to be helpful how exactly?"

 

Solas really did ask a lot of questions, was it curiously or something more, nothing ever great came from someone who asked and learned far too much for there own good.

 

"Are you--" Her thoughts drifted, as she stood facing the older elven man, his back was straight and his arms folded with authority. His cool blue eyes blinked with a subtle flutter as she began to move closer, her voice cracked sharply "Are you working for the Thalmor?"

 

"I don't know what you are talking about." was his reply, those words locked her thoughts, a typical response for an agent of the Thalmor, he was playing arrogance and well. "Very original, 'Solas' if that's even your true name, what do you Thalmor agents what with these people, I know they are wacky cause they worship Sithis, but it's not Talos..." She didn't bring up the scroll, it was unlikely he knew about it being so far away from the others.

 

"My name IS Solas, and I truly have no idea what you speak of, though I can tell you are being paranoid perhaps you are the one being untruthful."

 

"Touché" She paused moving closer, "Though I will be watching you 'Solas' closely..."

 

Solas breathed a heavy sigh as he pulled out his desks chair and sat tugging out a book, his fingers felt over the hard leather binding as he pulled it open where the olive green ribbon parted it in the center, "I wouldn't have it any other way." Solas muttered under his breath, licking his thumb and turning a page.

 

 

 

 

"Er...Ahem-" Lavellan coughed awkwardly from the doorframe, Solas' head turned to face him with his interruption, his book went down and they faced each other silently, "Your new friend is summoning demon hounds in my office." Solas snapped unhappy, with a glare in his eyes. Lavellan stepped into the odd circle and the ring that looked oddly like salt rocks, it had no intention to tell Solas it was his idea to do it here.

 

"Yes, I ah see... But if everything goes to plan we shall be able to stop Corypheus sooner and for good." Lavellan paused, Solas was still frowning, but one thing could cheer him up, "We'll be one step closer to getting that orb, too."

 

Solas' eyes drifted to Lavellan's, "You better be right than, and how do you intend to summon a demon from another land here with or lady Seeker around?- please tell me you did consider that beforehand."

 

Lavellan nodded, "Do you have no faith in me Solas?- I sent her away for the weekend, an anonymous someone sent her and Josephine tickets to see a play in Orlais, I thought it was rather genius." Lavellan grinned wide, proud of his marvelous plan. The tickets themselves were hard enough to come by and this late made things even worse, it took him a whole three hours of sucking up to Leliana and giving her back massage for her to finally agree.

 

"Genius is one word for it." Solas shook his head.

 

"So, do we have everything ready?" Lavellan asked Raven whom still sat on her knees clenching a bucket in her grasp. "Not exactly, I am going to need your blood and a lot of it..."

 

"You give 'bleeding me dry' a whole new meaning," Lavellan scoffed rolling up his sleeve, there was no way he was going to be filling that bucket with that much blood, "Why can't we use your blood again?"

 

 

"Because." Raven rolled her eyes shoving the bucket forward, "I need virgin blood, so cough it up." Lavellan signed with a breathy groan, and rolled his sleeve back down, "Sorry sweetheart, that ship has already sailed... Solas looks like we are using yours, come on don't be shy..." His voice turned to brazen tone towards Solas, who sat there with a blank expression.

 

"I am not what you seek Inquisitor, your search yet continues." Solas' words hit Lavellan back, was anyone actually a virgin around here. "Shit, Solas I thought you were saving it until our marriage...the betrayal!!" He gushed with his hand on his chest as Solas signed deep with a massive, "Ugh."

 

Lavellan scratched the back of his head through his mop of hair, "Shit...SHIT, PALA EM... Cole!" He called, he needed Cole.

 

"Please do not tell me you intended to be harvesting our young Cole for his blood."

 

"Jeez Solas, I already feel bad, you don't have to say it like that."

 

Cole appeared with a loud band and sudden pop center of the room, "You called." His voice was as soft and boyish as always. "Ah, do you want to help out?"

 

Cole nodded with his wide brim hat covering his head, "I want to help, you may have it," He lifted his arm to Lavellan who swallowed thickly in his throat, he didn't feel right about taking poor Cole's blood. "Cole, would you mind doing a small favor first, bring Cullen here..." He paused, feeling slightly awkward, "Is Sera.....forget an I asked, she'll hit me for just thinking about it."

 

 

With a flash and bang, Cole disappeared into thin air. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bang came from the door and with a twist of a doorknob Cullen and Cole walked into the room, yet Cullen didn't look so good, he was all sweaty and his eyes were bloodshot. "Cullen are you..." He shook his head, "Maker, I can't sleep and I just keep shaking, everything is moving so fast, I can't stop thinking about--"

 

"About---?" Lavellan asked.

 

"I have him skooma, to subside his ingesting rocks addiction," Raven admitted.

 

Cullen nodded as he entered the room, he looked like an utter mess, more so than with the Lyrium. "So what you made him addicted to something else?"

 

"Yeah...but at least he isn't craving rocks, that shit just isn't right," She shrugged.

 

"I don't know what you gave him, but you will fix it," Lavellan demanded boldly as Raven stood to roll her eyes with a sigh, she had no idea why he would want his commander to have an addiction to magical rocks, yet she didn't believe she would never understand this worlds nonsense.

 

Raven pulled something from around her neck and told Cullen to take a seat on one of the lounges in the corner, a strange beaded necklace she held in her grasp with a wooded craved blade she held to Cullen's forehead, "I grant you the blessing of Auriel." she muttered softly as thin whips of blue magic emptied from the amulet around Cullen as it slowly faded into the air.

 

"Better?- Now he will be eating rocks again, before you know it, ugh."

 

The necklace was pulled back over her neck as Lavellan and Solas had no words to say, yet something still managed to slip from Lavellan's mouth, "Who the fuck is Auriel?"

 

"My God, Witbane...and unlike your Sithis mine actually does shit... Are you feeling better?" She looked down at Cullen as he blinked his eyes, "Ah-- yes actually."

 

"Good, now bleed into the bucket virgin." She threw the bucket on his lap, fed up with everyone.

 

"Excuse me? I...ah...what?"

 

"You said you'd be willing to bleed for the Inquisition, now it is time to fulfill that vow, Cullen."

 

"I didn't mean it like---augh, yes Inquisitor." Cullen stood to throw his coat to the side and rolled his sleeves up ignoring the sus summoning alter in the center of the room.

 

"Alright, here are some home brewed health elixirs when you are done, drink them and you'll be as good as new..." She passed to one to Cole and Cullen, though Cullen wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of drinking anything she was offered again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Curly wurly...
> 
>  
> 
> \--
> 
> -Elder Scrolls Fact of the Day-#4
> 
> Did you know; Creeper from Morrowind, is Barbus... because he is..  
> "C'mon...help a scamp out. You gotta need something. I've got booze...."
> 
> \--  
> Also...  
> \---
> 
> Did you know; Tiber Septim aka (Talos) was born as one 'Hjalti Early-Beard' in 2E 828...  
> Birth place Alcaire... Yes, he wasn't born in Skyrim...nor Cyrodiil, he was born in Highrock. 
> 
> The exact race of Tiber Septim is unknown in fact, so he could very well be indeed a Breton, not a Nord...
> 
>  
> 
> -What's that sound? oh, it's just Ulfric crying...


	6. Chasing Tales.

 

 

 

# Chasing Tales.

 

 

 

 

Cullen's head felt dizzy, a cloudy sensation filled his mind as the light flickered in his eyes, dark matches blocked everything out as his hands felt clammy and his strength taken, now his knees wobbled like jelly. "I feel sick," He clenched his head firmly with his left hand, the site of blood was nothing new nor something that disturbed him but being drained like an animal after butcher was wearing on his patience, why did Lavellan need this much blood...

 

"Alright, that's enough. Make sure he drinks that potion and all of it." The voice came from the new elven girl, he did not want to drink anything she gave him, that Balmora stuff had been a hundred times worst than lyrium, at least on that he could function and manage to sleep.

 

Lavellan clenched Cullen's head bringing it up to view, "You are alright big guy?- c'mon, it can't be so bad." Lavellan bit the cork from the red bottle and smelt the liquid with a loud sniff and a scrunched up nose, "Smells like flowers and....wheat..."

 

"Because it is, Witbane." Her nimble hands grabbed the bucket from Cullen's lap, he had taken it a lot harder than Cole, he didn't seem to mind at all. "Drink up Cullen," Said Lavellan.

 

Cullen's hands grasped the bottle, it did smell like flowers and wheat. The bottle came to his lips as he tasted it on his tongue, it didn't taste awful but and at least it wasn't addictive either. The liquid tasted thick and chunky in his throat but with every swallow, his strength slightly returned.

 

Blood... Maker what is she doing with my blood, Cullen thought. A large ring was formed, swirls and circles, patterns and chants yelled loud in a foreign old language, maybe elven...but he doubted that idea.

 

Nothing made sense, the blood was spilled in the center over the bowl of gold, a flame crackled then rose higher in the air when she threw what looked like salt and a deep purple gem into the crackling heat of the flame, embers filled into the air with swirls of light. A black like mist poured from the bowl filled with blood, no...purple...

 

A loud bang and a blinding light filled the room, what was she doing...

 

It was a dog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Huh, where am I, why did you summon me and not my Master?"

 

Silence filled the room when the dog spoke, everyone but Raven didn't see that coming. "Er..." Lavellan muttered with a break of the silence, the dog tilted his head to the elf that stood before him.

 

"Who and what are you supposed to be?" The Dog asked again.

 

"I could ask the same," Said Lavellan, "But I am an elf, she's an elf, surely you have---"

 

"Ha, very funny, I am more elven than you and I am a talking dog, why am I here, what do you want from me and not from my master?"

 

"I want to know the whereabouts of your Masters' artifacts, and why do you only come now, I have been trying to summon you and your master for the last fifteen years, why have you only came now?" Raven placed the bloody bowl on the floor and crossed her arms at the site of Daedric hound known to her as Barbas.

 

"Well, well... Look what we have here, a little Bosmer amongst the unknown." Barbas laughed rich with an accent she was unfamiliar with, "My master and I were weakened and separated until recently, everyone's pleas were unheard."

 

"Weakened, how spirit?" Solas asked curious to what he was seeing, yet he sensed immense power.

 

Barbas turned his gaze to the other unknown elven creature, "Yes, funny story, see my Master kicked me out then tried to have me killed for an axe, lucky I met someone who had a soft spoke for dogs and not so much for axes." He chuckled, "We are weakened while separated, my master and I are very much 'entwined'."

 

"So what artifact are you looking for?-- if it's the Bittercup, I do warn you it's buried under half of Red Mountain."

 

"No, no, we do not want the cup!" Raven hissed.

 

"So, what, Clavicus Vile's Masque?- Dovahkiin has it, it's in Whiterun."

 

Raven rolled her eyes about to blurt it out, however, Lavellan said it first, "Umbra, where is it?"

 

"Ah, what? HA, good luck trying to get that, it's been lost to us for over two hundred years, a shame too, a lot of our power resides in that blasted blade."

 

"But, you must know where it is, Vile wouldn't just know where it is...right?" She asked.

 

Barbas blinked his large wolfish eyes as he sat and panted his long canine tongue, "Yeah, I know where it is, but you won't be getting back, Master and I have been trying for years and if we can't--"

 

Raven interrupted loudly, "--The last person to have the blade of the Hero of Kvatch- Cyrodill, where, who has the blade now?!"

 

"-Ugh," Barbas groaned from her blurted out a yell, "The hero never gave up the blade."

 

"I am fully aware of that." She replied.

 

 

 

 

"No, no... I mean he still has it."

 

"But...pardon, he was an Imperial... Imperial's don't live for two hundred years, is he a necromancer of some kind?"

 

"Er...not quite, see...Our hero, left the Cyrodill after the death of his dear friend Martin, some people said it drove him mad, but that's just an understatement, he is _**madness**_." 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about just taking out the the massive lore segment of Umbriel, (I have never read the TES books) though it would of been cool to write about the giant floating city, it was easier to just have our old pal Sheo to have the blade...
> 
> Umbra lore is legit awesome... 
> 
>  
> 
> -Elder Scrolls Fact of the Day-#5
> 
>  
> 
> Elder Scrolls Daggerfall, was released in 1996  
> And too this day, has one of the biggest game maps ever.
> 
> So, how big is it?
> 
> 160,000 square km, filled with 15,000 towns and a population of 750,000.
> 
>  
> 
> \---
> 
> I'll just let that sink in....


	7. The Eye of the Dragon.

 

 

 

# The Eye of the Dragon.

 

 

 

 

 

 The sword was gone, madness, absolute madness,  And The Hero of Kvatch was a Daedric Lord, how could a man become a Daedric Prince? - The God of Madness himself. "I am going crazy." Raven grasped her head stepping down the stairs, "No man could not ascend to godhood, Daedric or not, it's insane. To become truly immortal and take over a whole realm of Oblivion, it is - mad."  her words prickled like poison in her throat, swallowing deathbells would be more comfortable than coming to grips, somehow they had to convince the Daedric Prince of Madness to yield up a blade he had for over two-hundred years.

 

The door ahead was locked but with a quick nudge, it swang open. It was cold and frozen like ice, the atmosphere itself made the hair on the back of her neck twinge with a jolt. Light, a glimmer of it stung her eyes with an opened up wall revealing the mountains ahead.

 

A small creature stood in the center of the room, it was an extremely short person, with auburn colored hair pulled back in the piggy tail like buns; was she a dwarf or just a hairy child suffering from lycanthropy?

 

 "Oh my ancestors, it's you - it's really you!-- Your stuff is so astounding. The bow, where did you get it?- The enchantment is like nothing I have ever seen and the scroll, it's so big but so empty, BUT the paper, it's amazing paper, it smells like magic, but in a good way!"

 

 

There it was her long lost bow, glamming there in the light looking as beautiful as the day Raven liberated it. Her hands grasped it, fingers filling every inch of the Dwarven metal, it was flawless and perfect, smithed to a legendary standard. The weight felt so perfect in her hands as the light from the mountains made it shine black ebony and the purple Dwarven markings light up like the sky on a full moon.

 

 

"I discovered it in Ravenrock while working for Master Neloth, on my days off I went looking for Resonance Gems, once I had them all they unlocked a secret chamber and this piece of perfection laid within, it's called the 'The Dwarven Black Bow of Fate.' "

 

 

 

Her eye's lit up, "Holy mother of nugs, it's Dwarven, but it's magical, why...what...where... HOW?!"

 

 

 

"What's so shocking about that?" She asked.

 

 

 

"Ah, Dwarfs don't have magic, or do they have it from where you are from, oh my, please say yes and take me back, I'll do anything you want!"

 

 

 

"Er, no. We don't have dwarfs, we had dwemer but I am afraid they died out a long time ago. Do you by any chance know where my quiver is?"

 

 

 

"Oh, yeah..." She pointed sadly towards the table to the right, "My name is Dagna by the way, your arrows are interesting too, made from dragon bone, yes?"

 

 

 

"Mhm hmm." Raven nodded with a happy grunt, grabbing the quiver and strapping it to her back with a quick pull as she fastened the leather straps, "I slew the beast on my way here heading from Ravenrock, Skyrim is overwhelmed with the beasts, they cause a lot of havoc back home in Tamriel, do you have them here?"

 

 

 

"Do we ever," Dagna managed a soft chuckle, "Did you have help?- I mean you'd have to be crazy to face a dragon by yourself, our Faelyn always takes a team out every other month to face a dragon, he always brings me back the trophy from the hunt." She smiled wide and toothy.

 

 

 

"Nuh, always been a lone wolf, anytime I get help it just turns into interference. All I need is a bow and a poison of choice and I can take anything down."

 

 

 

"You took a dragon down by yourself?" it wasn't Dagna that said that, no it was Lavellan behind her slowly joining in, his bare feet strode over the stone, the cold chill didn't seem to bother him at all down here, he smiled wide and his eyes enchanted by the site of the unknown ebony coloured bow in her grasp.

 

 

 

"Yes, I did...I have a few times, it's another reason Master Neloth sent me, he said a dragon would be guarding your Urn of Ashes, so it turns out, I happen to be a crack marksman and a master thief." Raven smiled placing her bow on her back as she moved forward and led against the table with her elbow.

 

 

 

Lavellan heard her words, though he found it hard to believe anyone could take on a dragon by themselves, let alone a just one archer girl. "So sweetheart, you just go in there with your little bow and a quiver and unleash hell on that big winged lizard?- better make sure you got a lot of arrows." He laughed not believing her tall tales.

 

 

 

"I only need one arrow to take a dragon down, Witbane, I cover my arrows in a special poison from a plant only found in Stros M'kai, an island off the coast of Hammerfell. It's very rare so it's easily hidden across borders but it's so potent it can and will kill anything when prepared properly." 

 

 

 

"Ha, one..." Lavellan laughed, "I have heard better tales from old senile Dalish hahren's. Plus a dragon has thick scales, how is it supposed to even piece into the dragon's flesh to poison the poor beast?"

 

 

 

"The eye, Witbane, I aim for the eye." Raven shook her head as she turned around, how in oblivion did this poor fool get this high up in rank in this guild of sorts. This was an odd place yet it was safer than home for now, and everyone wasn't trying to kill her, so that was at least worth staying for now.

 

 

 

A flash caught her eye from a far-off table. A silver and golden incrusted conduit with the symbol of Auriel, fixed in deep scarlet wax, and a golden dragon symbolizing the White Gold tower of Cyrodill; It was the scroll. Lavellan was being awfully quiet as Raven took it in her grasp, it was heavy and large, she was glad she didn't have to carry it anymore, but the weight of it on her nerves was heavier than its mass.

 

 

 

"Can you tell me what that thing is?- I know it's a scroll, but... Okay, I really don't know what it is, please just tell me, it's killing me. I opened it because the Seeker asked me, but it's blank, but I sense magic, I just don't know how..."

 

 

 

Perhaps her lack of magic made it unreadable to her, she was lucky not have gone blind or done worse. Raven swallowed in her throat, the object still made her a little nervous, "It's an Elder Scroll, they aren't exactly rare, some just happen to be more important than others, and well this one..."

 

 

 

Lavellan broke his silence intrigued by the object, perhaps it was elven make, even if it wasn't made by his people, it was still something they could learn from. "Well, what does it do?"

 

 

"A number of things, some stop time, some bend it, then some are time itself, they are all different and yet some do entirely different things; unpredictable and unimaginable things." She answered.

 

 

 

"And that one there?" Lavellan stalled looking at the magical artifact, still the dread of the time amulet with Dorian on his mind and the horrors it inflected, he still had nightmares of red lyrium, the green skies as the world was ripped from the sky above, split open as the demons and horrific terrors from beyond roamed the land, filling the air and everything in between rich with corruption and blight.

 

 

 

"This one, I am not entirely sure, though I can take a guess from how the Thalmor reacted when I stole it. They say that Dovahkiin found scrolls that were linked to time and dragons then there were some that said there was one's linked to the power of the sun, something to hide and harness its power. But this one, this one is linked to the Altmer, the High Elves themselves, what it would do them if it was opened and properly used, I don't know, but it wouldn't be good for them, perhaps it would send them all forward in time, maybe backwards or to a different realm altogether. A plane oblivion or maybe a land like this one, I can not say, though they were pissed off when they noticed it gone."

 

 

 

Lavellan blinked as he stood their blank, he finally sees why she suggested to throw it into the Inquisition vault, it probably wasn't a bad idea, though an item like that shouldn't be kept here, not something that could wipe out a whole race of elves or worse. "Please tell me why you would steal such a thing, and it better be good," the palm of his hand met his face in a heavy sign.

 

 

 

"Ugh, it's a long story, I'll tell you... But not here, in private." Lavellan nodded as so she followed behind him bow and scroll in hand leaving Dagna behind wondering what in the void was going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Alright, it's private now," Lavellan slammed the door behind her, taking the scroll from her hand and placing it on his desk as he sat on the top of it, as Raven took a seat on the edge of his fluffy feathered bed. The sheets were soft and finely made, deep cobalt blue, cherry reds, with golden hems.

 

 

 

Raven looked away for a moment, she didn't fancy talking about pasts, pasts were the past and so they should remain. It wasn't hard to talk about, but it wasn't enjoyable either. "So you already know I grew up an orphan on the streets of Greenheart. I was born around the time of the Great War, I guess my parents died in it, maybe I don't. A lot of orphans were around my time, a lot of sick and lot of homeless too. It really wasn't a big thing back then to be a beggar or homeless in those times.

 

I was raised in one of the local orphanages in the city, was taken in by a couple of Khajiit's when I was a babe and left the home at the age of seven. Ended up a cutpurse urchin, no one expected a cute little girl in pigtails to rob them blind. I would pretend to be sick or injured sometimes, other times just a pickpocket stealing gems from nobles purses and sometimes I would just sneak into a house when no one was home and sweep the place clean.

 

I got caught a handful of times, did a around a year in jail, mostly they let me out cause they felt sorry for me or sent me back to the orphanage, but one time when I got caught when I was about nine, I shared a jail cell with a member of the Thieves Guild, best thing to ever happen to me...at the time."

 

 

 

"Thieves guild?" Lavellan questioned.

 

 

 

"It was a society of Thieves. It was good back then, I always had a room when they took me in, they gave me home and a family of some kind. I stole and I pickpocketed when asked but mostly I delivered letters when I was young, I could stuff them down my tunic and guards would hardly ever search a little girl. I delivered letters to every district and even stuck in prisons and tight jails without getting caught. They never had a rank for me back then being so young, so they took to making a new one for me, I was their 'Little Raven' and I was damn good one too.

 

 

 

"So that's not your name then, what is it really?" He asked.

 

 

 

"I don't know and honestly I don't care. I am whoever I want to be."

 

 

 

"When I was a tad older A fellow Bosmer Shadowfoot took a liking to me and trained me with a bow when the nights were dull or sometimes it was just for the sake of it. After years of practice, I became good, great even, but I'll never forget the day the student out mastered her teacher." Raven smiled wide as her fingers glided over her bow with pride.

 

 

 

"Life in the Thieves Guild took me to many places and different guilds all over Tamriel, I never stayed in one place for long as any good thief did. However, by the time I became a woman, around eighteen maybe seventeen -ish, I started gaining a reputation for myself, though it wasn't just other thieves that were noticing it nor even clients."

 

 

 

Raven hesitated, trying to remember all the little details as she moved her legs over trying to get comfortable, as they slowly grew numb, "It was a dark night, I was fast asleep in a dingy little Inn in Riverhold on the borderline from Elsweyr to Cyrodiil when a Speaker from The Dark Brotherhood came to me with a job offer, I could join them, make far better gold and serve their Nightmother and Dread Father, but at the cost of turning in my Thieves guild leathers."

 

 

"Why did they want you to quit being a thief?" Lavellan tilted his head.

 

 

"The guilds don't always get along, sometimes their rules overlap each other, you must know they have very strict rules in either organization, more so in The Dark Brotherhood, they follow The Five Tenets, and breaking any will result in invoking the Wrath of Sithis, and mind you, that is truly not as fun as it seems."

 

 

 

"So I am guessing you broke one and everything went to shit, right?"

 

 

 

"Yeah, but it wasn't that simple, nowhere near as simple as that... I joined the Brotherhood, I killed and assassinated people without mercy though most of my targets were criminals, rapists, thugs and sometimes the occasional vampire pirate captain." Raven gave a shrewd chuckle, "However, I was living a dangerous double life, working for both guilds and pulling in so many Septim's I had no idea what to do, I had a house in Cyrodill in the Talos Plaza District, one of those fancy ones, with a secret basement and everything. I had more arrows than I could ever use and every alchemical ingredient I could ever mix. But life is shit, and nothing ever lasts forever...

 

 

 

Anyways, I got a letter delivered to me at my house by the Thieves guild from back home to get some priceless artifact from a house in Arenthia on the borders of Cyrodiil and Elsweyr. It was supposed to be a quick easy, but a score of a lifetime and I was the closest with the highest rank, they needed a professional for the job and so I went to Arenthia back home in Valenwood, I found the house, yet it wasn't what I expected, nothing like anything I thought. I was attacked within, never saw the woman come out, and I was shadowed and everything, She just attacked me out of nowhere and I was forced to retaliate and I killed the poor woman, she put up a hell of a fight too. It wasn't till I had a proper look around the house that I realized it was a setup, a really fucking good one. I had just killed the Valenwood's Listener for The Dark Brotherhood, and that was the one big rule never to break, don't kill our brothers and sisters and I had just killed the fucking Listener and unfortunately for me, that is a job not so easily replaced.

 

 

 

So when a whole bunch of Dark Brotherhood members showed up at door in the following days I wasn't surprised at all when I defended myself by killing them back, it just made things a tad worse. The Nightmother herself put a hit out on me, and everyone was demanding my head from the Thieves Guild to The Brotherhood. I don't know how they found out I was working for them, or maybe it was just one of them that found out, but I pissed someone off because every time I crossed the border a new and higher bounty was placed on my pretty little head. Before I knew it I was wanted everywhere from the city guards to the Brotherhood tracking my steps, I headed for Ravenrock. I thought it would be far away, I could hide there for a year till everything settles down, but nothing is ever that simple.

 

 

 

On the way there I saw a convoy of Thalmor, it really was shady, I could sense they were carrying something of very high value over borders of Skyrim, maybe they were heading back to the Summerset Isles, I have no idea, but I wanted to find out what they were hiding. So I trailed them from a distance on foot, they had a horse and a wagon. I don't know what I thought they would be hiding, gold and weapons was my first thought and I had nothing on me but an elven bow, twelve arrows and the leather armour on my back, I needed supplies and gold fast if I wanted to book a passage out of here, so I did what I always do, steal stuff and fuck shit up.

 

 

 

I broke into the wagon in the dead of night while it still moved, but nothing was in it, except for a single chest, I couldn't in the life of me open it, that was something totally new to me, so I just took the whole chest with me when I busted out.

 

 

 

I managed to escape the Thalmor cloaked and unnoticed chest in hand, I took it to a small town of Morthal just south of the Capital city of Solitude, I wanted to open that solid chest, I was practically dragging it on the ground by the time I got there, I had to pay a smith with my bow to open the damn box, even he couldn't do it so we ended up just throwing it in the forge to the melt the whole damn fucking thing.

 

 

 

I don't know what kind of enchantment was on that blasted chest, but when It finally melted away and relieved what was it in, I understood why it was so secure, it was an Elder Scroll. I had fucking stolen an Elder FUCKING Scroll off the Thalmor."

 

 

 

 

 

"I am guessing, the Thalmor are not good." Lavellan grinned lightly with his boyish smile.

 

 

 

 

 

"No, they really aren't and it didn't take them long to figure out where their scroll went, so when I tried to blackmail them to get them to fix my problem with my bounties on my head for the scroll back, they weren't happy. So much for that idea, if anyone could have fixed it, it would have been the Thalmor. In the end, I had annoyed not only Brotherhood, The Thieves' Guild and now the entire Thalmor I really had to get out of Tamriel... I had to go far away, but all I could afford was Ravenrock, and so I headed for Windhelm, scroll in hand...well on my back. I booked a passage on a moonsuger's smuggler boat to the Rock. The Captain was Khajiit Senche-raht and the largest one I had ever seen, black his fur was and covered in white war paint stripes and eyes the colors of the two moons, his name was Dar'omir and they called themselves the Secunda Sugars. I worked on their ship to pay for my passage as I took their cargo and dropped it off at the Retching Netch, it was just mainly cheap imported Flin and Sujamma, but there was moonsuger, yet also a fine selection of sweetrolls, though unfortunately they never made to the inn." Raven shrugged.

 

 

 

"...And well that's how I got to Raven Rock, I took a job from Master Neloth cause no one else wanted it, cause everyone else who had worked for him had either gone mad, blind or just missing. I took his gold and he liked having elven female around, but he would always yell at me for my tea making skills, 'How can a alchemist make such bad tea,' he would yell at me day after day, that and I was a disappointing student when it came to him teaching me enchanting.

 

 

 

So when he asked me to come here and grab the Urn, you bet your ass I took it, he would have given me enough gold so I could leave too for good, but I guess I am gone now. Trust me I had no idea he was sending me here, I thought he said tel- something, I thought I was heading to Vvardenfell!"

 

 

 

 

 

"Right, well." Lavellan stood up straight and felt over his face with his hands, "I only know one thing from all that."

 

 

 

"What?" She asked.

 

 

 

"You have the worst luck ever." Lavellan laughed.


	8. Faelyn the Great and Powerful.

 

 

 

# Faelyn the Great and Powerful.

 

 

 

 

 

  
"You are very professional," Raven scoffed at the still smiling at Lavellan across the room, his boyish laugh rung in her long elven ears and vibrated against her mind causing a massive headache. "Are you done-" Lavellan snickered over Raven trying to speak.

 

"Ha, oh... Okay, I am done now..." He smiled wide with his glittery green eyes sparkling over the flame of the candles, "You probably shouldn't tell anyone else about the true nature of the scroll...or about your past, not that they'll do anything against my word...hopefully, but Cassandra will be angry at me...and give me the whole 'I told you so,' speech, so keep your colorful past to yourself - and, I will...ah, take this scroll and..." Lavellan held it in his hands, it was heavier than it looked.

 

"Just stick it in a vault if you have one, please," Raven said standing, her legs were tired and numb from sitting for so long. This world was fine and everything was perfect other than the fact that everyone she had met was suffering from some kind of inborn witbane that was incurable.

 

Lavellan gave a subtle nod as he opened his door to let her leave, the night was beginning to grow long and Raven looked more tired than she usually did, "You should try to sleep, you'll be safe within these walls."

 

"I doubt that," Raven muttered back as she left the room silently.

 

Raven was as silent as a ghost, not even footsteps followed her, she simply faded into the darkness of the stairwell that went back down to the main hall. "Faelyn Lavellan, you are an idiot." He mumbled to himself while closing the door, his room was empty and cold from the chilled breezes off the Frostback mountains, it wasn't long ago he was tracking through them after the wrath of Haven. With a quick pull, he brought the large double doors back into a close, the hearth of the fire roared with a crackle of hot embers.

 

The fire was the only thing that reminded him of home, the long cold nights of the Free Marchers, tall trees and lush forests, aravels and the bellowing of Halla's, everything was still so unusual and out of place, though he tried to fit in with his jests and soft humour, yet in the end he felt like he came from a separate world.

 

Fingers fiddled with soft silver buttons on his tunic, pulling the last button loose, throwing the soft fabric back into an open draw. The warmth of the fire blazed against his skin as Lavellan shoved everything around, searching endlessly through his draws. Searching through the Fade and the endless abyss was easier than finding anything in there. His mind wondered, distant and troubled, perhaps Raven was right about the beige, yet he didn't see how it was his fault since it wasn't him who picked his clothes, it was Josephine. Greens and browns were Faelyn's forte, though here he was Lavellan, not a Dalish, not him, just Lavellan... A blank base covered in beige, nothing but the last name that wasn't even his and a mark on his hand that neither he wanted.

 

 

 

 

The next morning the world felt different, better even, watching the sunrise over the mountain tops always made him feel better. Inquisition halls always felt cold in the morning, as gloomy as they were Faelyn enjoyed walking them in the morning before everyone woke, maybe it was cause he didn't have to talk to anyone or maybe it was just cause he could pretend for a moment he was alone. He moved quietly as a mouse down into the basement, scroll in hand he stashed it in the vault as he told Raven he would; as any item should be kept. The time amulet he had used with Dorian was kept down there too, Faelyn hated looking at it, every time he did it made his stomach turn.

  
On the way back to the hall he stopped and detoured to an acute angle, a glimmer of a reflection caught his eye in an old dusty looking glass, a man stood before him, one he yet did not recognize. A wipe of his sleeve brushed over the thin layer of dust, clearing it free. Faelyn hardly noticed himself standing before him, he had aged greatly in the year he had been with the Inquisition, stress maybe or fighting the endless battles of others, his hair grown so long and shaggy, well past his shoulders, in some kind of blonde ash nightmare. His hands swiped his fridge from his eyes as the markings of Faelyn's vallaslin was almost completely covered except for the small amount on his chin.

  
The bold lines of Ghilan'nain still held the same green tinge from the day he had it done, though now he wished he had chosen June or maybe Mythal. His love of Halla as a boy had cursed him for a lifetime, it was almost as bad as the day he realized he was a mage, how he hoped just to be a hunter, that was easy and simple, life could have been so much easier if he was born a rogue or warrior. However the day he cursed by magic was the day he learned that soon he would become First, and one day become a Keeper of the Clan. On that very day he realized everything he had dreamed of was over, no hunts no fun, he would have to grow up become mature, become the grizzled old hahren everyone wanted him to be.

  
Then coming here changed everything, it made becoming Keeper seems so trivial, life was child's play back then and there was no going back, he was the only one left now, the last of Clan Lavellan, the last of what seemed a lot, the only reminder left was the markings written in blood on his forehead and chin, a dream of a young boy who loved halla.

 

 

 

 

Solas was up by the time Faelyn made his way through the hall, he sat at his desk flickering threw pages and pages of what seemed like nonsense about orbs and places where old Corypheus might be hiding out. Solas was still in awe after meeting that spirt-demon dog, whatever it was... It took him almost three hours to stop questioning the poor creature about how the planes of Oblivion work without a Fade or how they manage to dream without it in place.

 

"Good morn' sunshine," Faelyn greeted Solas with a crisp smile entering his fresco, Solas barely tilted his head when he answered back with a soft voice that sounded tired maybe even frustrated, Solas was never one to be in a good mood if he didn't get is nana naps.

 

"So any word on Captain Corruption and The Stalactite-shits?"

 

"If you are referring to Corypheus and the Red Templars, no, I have not since your new friend arrived, it would seem Corypheus has taken himself into hiding in the woods."

 

"Hot damn and I thought we could have been friends, minus the ghoul thing and the parts were he spreads more disease whorehouse harlot."

 

"Jest all you Lavellan, but we should be moving against him soon, indeed as fast as possible would prove the wisest action."

 

Faelyn breathed out with a little puff of air that blew his long fringe from his eyes, he often wondered why Solas choose to shave his hair, though it may have been a sensitive topic of discussion. "What are you going to do, after all this over, are you going to stick around or go back to exploring ruins and dream in all the exotic places of Thedas, I hear Antiva has some fun places to dream?"

 

Solas finally tilted his head up from his work with a soft gaze on Lavellan, "Are you wearing blue?" He arched his brow with an expression of confusion, "And I truly do not know, I must focus on the task at hand. What are your plans?"

 

It was the first time someone asked him that, no one hardly spoke to Faelyn of the future, everyone just expected him to die, maybe he was, though he intended to dream while he could, and think of a future in the meantime. "Yup, I found it amongst the endless abyss of beige, I didn't think it was possible and yet it happened, I know Solas, I am shocked as well." Lavellan paused with a smile as he leaned against the walls of Solas' fine painted art.

 

"I honestly don't know when it comes to a future, I doubt Cassandra will ever let me leave." He chuckled softly, "Though I suppose if I could, I think I'll get a little house in The Emerald Graves, a stone cottage hidden away and I am going to have a lot of halla, even those golden ones. Oh, and I'll get myself a wife and I am going to have children, a lot, in fact, the more the better...maybe ten, hopefully, more... hell, why not a whole Clan."

 

"You don't exactly strike me as father type da'len," Solas smirked over his word on his desk.

 

Sometime Faelyn wondered if Solas knew him at all, "Of course I do, you grumpy old geezer, if I don't I'll end up like you, with nothing but Fade ladies and sorrow filled dreams."

 

Solas' face frowned further unimpressed by Lavellan's choice of words, yet he was young and foolish. "You underestimate the wonders of the Fade, yet if you dream of children you should have stayed with the lady Seeker."

 

Why did Solas always have to bring that up, "No...no... I learned my lesson the first time Solas, I will not be taking courting advise from you nor anyone, my new rule is not to date anyone taller than myself. I wonder if Varric has a sister, I'd like a lady who can hold her liquor, maybe she'll even let me braid her beard too... Imagine that."

 

"I am sorry to inform you but our Master Tethras does not have a sister, only a brother though you hardly would recognize the difference anyhow." Solas flicked his paper over in his book with a lick of his thumb.

 

"You may have raised a good point. I truly don't wish to live underground either I am a tad claustrophobic." Faelyn had never considered the fact that he was indeed claustrophobic until he had explored the Deep Roads a month on end after the Inquisition ordered him down there to solve why the earthquakes kept happening, he wasn't sure what was more confusing the fact they thought he could stop them, or the fact he did.

 

"Do you have any children Solas?"

Solas was at least old enough to have many children, yet Faelyn had never seemed to recall asking him of his family, he just seemed to always have been a lone wolf.

 

"No, Inquisitor... Not that I am aware of."

 

"Aware of," Faelyn scoffed, "Am I secretly one of your lovechild's, that you're trying to win back into your life?- because if you are my papa Solas, you're gonna have to buy me a lot of ponies to make up for lost time."

 

Solas managed to restrain his eye roll, the idea of bedding a Dalish woman was the least of his concerns twenty-something years ago. The possibility of a great-grandchild was likely yet he highly doubted Lavellan and him were related in any manner...hopefully.

 

"Fret not Inquisitor, if I had a secret infatuation with a Dalish woman, I would remember."

 

"My mother was a flat ear Solas," Faelyn narrowed his eyes to a squint as he looked to Solas with suspension, "You know, I think we have the same chin and ears."

 

 

 

 

When Raven had wondered the Castle in the morning trying to find the hall, she never expected to see Solas and Faelyn so close, looking at each other from across Solas' desk, Faelyn's expression was intense, what in oblivion were those two discussing.

 

A knock on the door broke them away, as she stood there looking at the two odd looking elven men. "By Azura," Raven moved forward in disbelief, was this some kind of illusion... "Is that a color other than beige?- praise your Sithis miracles happen!"

 

Faelyn leaned back with a smug smile as he his fingers combed through his fringe and pushed it back from his face, "I know, I am full of surprises today, only just recently I discovered my long lost papa, don't you think we look alike?" Faelyn turned his head the same angle as Solas and pursed his lips with a grumpy looking frown.

 

"I..." Raven stood their blank, was she more surprised by his ever growing stupidity or whatever the fuck was on his face she had never seen before. Her hands grasped his soft boy like chin and tilted his head, "I...ah... Suppose you to have the same chin, but-"

 

"Ha, I told you Solas, you owe me a pony...a white one." He laughed with glee as it was softly broken off by Raven's glaring stares that pierced into him like a blade in between his ribs.

 

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

 

"What the fuck is on your face?"

 

"Vallaslin, blood writing for Lavellan's elven gods," Solas answered with a heated tone and a scuff on the end of his lips.

 

"Tattoos...on your face....in blood?- That sounds awfully black magic cult stuff, but it does sound cool as well, so..."

 

"-Wanna get matching ones, oh we should all get one... What do you say Solas?- it doesn't have to be on your face, maybe on your shoulder or something...matching Halla's!" Faelyn laughed.

 

"Er... I don't know what that is." Raven questioned with confusion.

 

"Oh well, it's like an elk...but smaller."

That didn't sound so bad, "Sounds majestic..." She tilted her head towards Solas as he corrected Faelyn.

 

"An elk." Solas scoffed, "They are more of a goat."

 

"Oh...well I think I'll pass then."

 

 

"Sometimes I hate you.... _father_." Faelyn frowned towards Solas, he had ruined everything.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Captain Corruption' is so much better than Corypheus... just sayin. 
> 
>  
> 
> \- Elder Scrolls Fact of The Day - #6
> 
> Everyone is fully aware that Breton's are indeed part elf and human..  
> BUT, their entire race was actually designed by the Aldmer, it happened during the period in the First Era when Mer held Men as slaves, which lead to masters impregnating their female captives.
> 
> (sicko elves....)


	9. Elves, elves and more ELVES.

 

 

# Elves, elves and more ELVES.

 

 

Silence filled the room, nothing but the loud screeches of crows from above filled their ears. The loud flapping of wings and claws scratching wood, Dorian humming loudly from the upper floor, parchment within books being turned. A doorknob twisted, the ancient springs creaked when turned. Raven kinked her head as loud footsteps approached.

 

It sounded like boots, no...light feet in oversized shoes, maybe a child with how quickly they were moving, a single laugh filled the air, loud with a girls voice that ended with a snort. "Faelyn, Inquizzie... You should have seen it, massive it was, ha- you missed out!"

 

It was a girl, no a young woman, elven in appearance yet different from Lavellan and Solas, more man then mer. Her short blond hair ruffled as she strode in taking large steps in her floppy shoes, laces undone and dressed in red and yellow tartan, "Who's this?- oh another one...great, hopefully, you're not all like Solas."

 

Solas coughed to alarm her that he too was in the room, watching and hearing everything that came out of her ill-mannered mouth.

 

"Oh shite didn't see you there elfy, you blend into the woodwork in all that green." She cackled as Solas crossed his arms unimpressed.

 

"This is Sera you have the unfortunate luck of meeting." Solas scoffed with displeasure.

 

"Ha, right...I am..." Sera tossed her head with a large smirk across her lips, her freckles glittered across her cheeks as she moved forward looking Raven straight in the eyes, "What's wrong with this one, it's strange... It's not another...thing is it?" She referred to Cole.

 

"Nope, not a spirit, but she did come from the eluvian, from a different world!" Lavellan smiled bright and happy, "Imagine Sera a whole new world to explore with even more elves and magic, just think what this means for our people, this discovery!" Lavellan jested.

 

Sera clenched her jaw and tilted her head not taking her eyes of the unknown creature that inhabited this room, of course, if there was going to be some strange being coming out of a magic mirror thingy, the Inquisitor would be friends within and recruit it and treat it like a person.

 

"I don't like it, it looks like us but...I dunno... It has bigger eyes and it ain't skinny like you... What's wrong with it?"

 

Raven blinked her eyes not believing what she was earring, she was not the odd one... This elf was suffering the worst case of witbane she had ever seen, even worse than Faeyln.

 

"It's because she isn't like us, Sera she's a different kind of elf, there are other kinds apparently!" Lavellan said loudly.

 

Sera's veins bulged within her forehead thick and blue behind the wisps of her thin golden fridge. "Different Kinds?- how many are we speaking?"

"Four ancient races and four now in the present; Altmer, Bosmer, Orsimer and Dunmer." Raven replied to Sera as she looked back shocked at Lavellan, "Send it back now and smash the mirror thingy, you don't need it anymore...just I dunno...do something!"

 

"Smash the eluvian, are you crazy?" Faeyln pursed his lips with a frown, never would he consider such a thing, the things it could unlock, the mysteries it could solve, never did he believe such wonders the eluvian might hold or conceal.

 

Sera grunted with a response and placed her arms in a tight fold, "I dunno how you got Cassandra to let you keep that thing, you should put it back where you got it before it bites yuh in the arse."

 

Raven signed heavy, was this young woman referring her to being some kind of skeever ridden parasites. "I am not going back, not now, only when I want too... Unless you want to try and make me."

 

With a clench of her knuckles, Sera took a step forward, her leather gloves crunching under her grim grip. Raven watched her movement, the way she walked and the way she held herself. Sera moved sloppily at first but when an alerted her knees became straight and agile, her elbows arched with a well toned upper body strength, a body fight for an archer, Raven knew this well.

 

A foot moved swiftly behind another as Raven moved back with a pace, with a single arch of her knees she became one with her shadow in a cloud of purple smoke. "Where did it go?- it's a demon!" Sera turned her head both ways almost tripping over her large shoes looking around the room, Faelyn and Solas stood there like nothing was happening. "Where is it?" Sera turned again drawing her simple wooden bow from her back, she was seeing nothing...nothing, like in the Fade. "Nothing...nothing...nothing" she muttered under her breath. It was a demon, she knew it, it had to be, some kind of succubus. A sharp pull came from behind pulling Sera back with a tug at her leather fastened quiver, emptying it with a quick pull. "What are you doing?!"

 

Raven appeared in full with a light crackle of purple smoke, the arrows in her hands, wood from oak trees, unknown black feathers, her fingers felt up the wood, sliding over the grain to the leather binding that held the arrowhead in place, "What is this? - is this...iron, please do not tell me you actually use iron arrows..." thirteen arrows she counted in her hands as she dropped all but one on the floor at her feet. "Hey, watch it, those are new!" Sera hissed annoyed as her arrows sprawled out across the floor. "Who in oblivion taught you how to fletch arrows, this is simply terrible!" Sera pushed her lips to the side, annoyed and confused her arrows were fine, never once had they failed her.

 

The crack of wood filled the air as Raven snapped the single arrow in half, "this is crap wood, and even worse iron, what kind of feathers did you even use?"

 

"Phoenix feathers this lot were crafted from, I killed the creature myself and took the feathers, but seeing how you just destroyed them--"

 

"I did you favor, It's a depressing day when I see any elf that can't fetch their own arrows..." Raven signed with a breathy groan resting her palm to her face, "Arrowheads should be crafted from nothing less than ebony and nothing lower unless your hunting foxes or rats."

 

"To the forking void with this one," Sera scoffed with a grunt. "Like you know anything to do with arrows lady, the only pointy things you know are the tips of those ears."

 

"What did you say about my ears?!" Raven snapped unsheathing a hidden blade from her leather boot, "I'll cut your ears off and force you to eat them!" she hissed through her teeth as Lavellan pulled her with a quick pull, his hand fast on hers securing it tightly.

 

"See, it's dangerous, put it back!" Sera stepped back from the creature Faelyn held onto tightly.

 

"Now, now Sera..." Lavellan tsked his tongue towards Raven, "Be a good girl and place the little blade away, there will be no ear docking today nor tomorrow sweetheart." He shook his head at Raven, as his hands pulled the black blade from her grasp, "Attacking one's companion around here is extremely frowned upon, we keep our anger bottled up till Fridays, that's the only time intoxicated violent outbursts are acceptable. Now, are you hiding more weapons or do I have to search you?"

 

Raven rolled her head back against his shoulder, "Yes." she replied bluntly looking up into Faelyn Lavellan's green eyes.

 

"How many?"

 

"I have eight things on me that could be considered a weapon, though only four that are actually weapons... Unless you count my amazing personality, which I reckon is my best weapon yet." Raven cracked a smile as Lavellan shook his head with a sway of his fridge.

 

"Honestly there is no hope for you."

 

"Nope, not at all." She said as Faeyln held her hands behind her back with one of his own as the other reached down into her boot pulling out another one of her hidden blades, "Ugh..." He signed slamming the golden elven dagger onto Solas' desk. "Er... I don't know how that got there..." Raven's voice was full of doubtful confusion.

 

Solas reached down and grasped the dagger twice in hand, his eyes scanning for unknown mysteries. "Is this your elven craft? - remarkable!" He gushed over the blade, "It is similar to what I have seen of our own people," his voice drifted as his fingers felt the length of the handle. "How did this come into your possession?"

 

Raven closed her eyes awkwardly as Lavellan ruffled through her boots and pockets, "I...uh found it."

 

"Ha, right... I have heard that before." Sera scoffed towards her.

 

"Mhm...true." Raven gestured with a flick of her head towards Sera, I simply forgot. You are completely right, it's a funny story actually how I got that dagger-"

 

"Oh, here we go again..." Lavellan signed finally letting go of her hands.

 

 

"So I got a contract once, right... I had to head to Leyawiin and take care of...business, however, the client from said contract wanted the business to be disposed of permanently without evidence, so when the business was taken care of discreetly, I dragged it into a nearby pond and dumped it hoping it would sink to the bottom. However, life is full of fun surprises and said business did not sink, no - it attracted a whole swam of slaughterfish that had themselves quite a tasty lunch." Raven giggled with a smirk that lit up her face, "I got myself a bonus for that, my contract dealer sent me the blade for a job well done."

 

"Lovely." Lavellan shook his head, "Such a lovely charming tale..."

 

Sera clenched her jaw watching Solas place the elven dagger back down on his desk. "You are very...sus, almost fishy." She said crossing her arms trying to figure Raven out.

 

 

"I would have to agree with our Inquisitor..." a voice came from the doorway, it was almost familiar that ended with a snarky tone, "You should enlighten us with more tales of your past - "

 

"Er, Cassandra, you are back...did you have a nice--"

 

"Shut it." Her finger went to her lip, as she strode forward with a frown that sent shivers down Raven's spine. "I...ah..."

 

"No, you listen here!" She yelled with a voice that echoed off Solas' walls. "I knew you weren't just a bad thief, Cullen was right, we're sending you back from where you come from, - Inquisitor Lavellan you must know we can not harbor this known criminal within our walls!"

 

"See, at least Cassandra knows the reason!" Sera shook her head with a smirk.

 

Lavellan stood there quietly pondering everything that was said, but they were right, she could not stay here within these walls much longer, not when so much was already at risk. "I hear your reason and concern Cassandra, she will return to her world--"

 

"But you promised me protection, you promised!!" Raven blurted out, turning Lavellan full of rage, "How could you?!"

 

His eyes closed with a brief pause, he tried so hard to please every one of his dear friends, yet at the end of the day, someone was always displeased with something he did. "I will not break my word to you Raven, I do not break my promises, but you will return to your world."

 

"But-"

 

"No, let me finish... You will return and take me with you and possibly Solas too." He turned to his best friend with a smile that Solas had no choice to refuse. "Are you up for new adventure Solas?" Lavellan asked.

 

"I..." Solas began to speak.

 

"NO, YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THE INQUISITION." Cassandra yelled at the top of her lungs, "You are needed here Inquisitor, not in some far-off land we have no knowledge off!"

 

"I understand your concerns Cassandra, but I will not be gone for long, a month at the longest...we seek a blade that could stop Corypheus and put an end to him for good, Raven already has the leads on where to find it. I am sure nothing will happen while we're gone..."

 

"No, this out of the question, I will not permit you to leave." Cassandra hissed on the tip of her tongue and signed deeply with her hand to her face, "I- I am sorry Inquisitor, I should...." She stepped back for a moment and curled her lip with regret from her sudden outburst, "I can not force you to do anything... If you wish to go to this land at least let me join you so I know you are safe."

 

"No." Lavellan said bluntly, "You are needed here... I will take Solas and Raven with me, as elves at least we'll blend in..."

 

"I will come with you Inquisitor, exploring this new world would be an interesting experience I would hate to miss." Solas agreed to Lavellan's plans.

 

"Two mages and a thief, no... It's not good enough." Cassandra crossed her arms.

 

 

 

 

 

Raven stood there in disbelief Lavellan was forcing her back so soon, Solas or he had no chance for survival if the Thalmor found out their origins or the Brotherhood tracked her steps, this was the worst idea ever. "I don't agree with this at all." She grabbed her elven blade from the table and slipped it within her boot, "But if I do this for you, help you get the blade and the star will you let me stay here, can I prove my worth?"

 

Lavellan turned to Cassandra seeking her approval, everything would be easier with it in the end rather than going against her wishes.

 

"Ugh, fine, yes... If you can actually significantly help us with the threat of Corypheus, than yes you can stay... But Maker help you, if our Inquisitor comes back with even a scratch, I'll send you back to your world in a box myself."

 

Raven swallowed in her throat, this woman was scarier than training with Shadowscales in the dark swamps of Blackmarsh. "Er, yes...okay...not a scratch, I can manage that... But we are going to need someone else to go with us, I am not a very reliable bodyguard..."

 

"Like who? - please do me you have someone in mind." Faeyln said doubtfully.

 

"Your Nord."

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh so yes, this tale is heading to Skyrim... gotta love Skyrim... *signs*
> 
> (There are more than eight races of elves in ES, it was hard for me be so incorrect- trust me... but Raven would have no idea about Snow Elves or Maormer\Sea elves etc)


	10. All Good Things Come in Small Packages.

 

 

 

# All Good Things Come in Small Packages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was past dusk by the time Cassandra had finally let Raven return to her room above Skyhold garden, the stars twinkled in the sky and the moon shone brilliantly through the clouds as heavens sparkled with starlight. One moon was still hard to fathom, Khajiit's would hate it here she thought, though probably most people would from her land would it seemed, it did seem awfully bleak at times.

  
The large wooden door opened with a creak, it was warm and dry within the room, the thick stone walls kept out the shivering breezes of the Frostbacks, it was almost as bad as traveling through Skyrim but nowhere near as bad as Windhelm. The thought of traveling back there ached her subconscious, the danger she was used too however always having to watch her own back at times grew thick after awhile, it almost impossible to withstand any more.

 

Yet this time would be different, maybe even a fresh start for her with these new companions, they did seem likable to some degree and maybe they could even handle themselves without getting in the way doorframes.

 

"Ugh," She groaned with a grunt ruffling through her sack of belongings, her years of wild kleptomania had finally caught up.

 

The sack was emptied out onto the bed, things were still missing from her first day and Lavellan still hadn't returned her books yet she pondered if she even wanted them returned now.

 

A clunk of a belt buckle came to lose as she slipped her netch leather boots off pushing them under the bed with her thick socked feet. She sat down on the bed as her trousers slipped down from her knees to her ankles as she stood once again to place them in front of the warm of the fire.

 

Legs bare and alchemy ingredients limited she scoffed at her piled up the mess, this was going to be a long night, again.

 

 

 

 

An hour passed with nothing but the few books that filled the room, reading up on Thedas' history was quite the bore but the topic of Blights and darkspawn were a whole new thing; what was a darkspawn, was it like some kind of corprus creature, was their archdemon's anything like Alduin?

 

Her questions would have to wait until the morning.

 

Or so she thought.

 

-"Are you still awake?" A gentle knock came to the door.

 

 

'I would be now fuckwit' she thought holding her tongue.

 

 

 

Raven signed deeply as she sat on her bed with her knees to her chest, long skinny legs draped over the edges slowly as she pushed off onto her feet to open the door.

 

She opened the door slowly to be greeted by a very tall man, "Well, well... If it isn't Commander..."

 

What was he Commander of again...

 

 

"Oh Maker... I... Ah..." Cullen paused with a half stutter that stopped her train of thought.

 

-"What?"

 

"Er...your..." He looked down at her bare legs.

 

-"Seriously? - you're going to come into my room in the middle of the night and expect ME to put pants on, no way buddy." Raven crossed her arms as she stepped aside and let Cullen enter the room. The door was quickly closed with a slam sealing in the warmth of the room once again.

 

Cullen took a set over near the fire within an armchair, still dressed as formal as ever head to toe in fur and metal plate, he pulled off his thick winter gloves. "I see the cold doesn't bother you much," Cullen said softly watching the fire crackle and the embers spark with life.

 

"It's not that bad, could be worse."

 

Cullen kept his eyes focused on the fire, avoiding awkward stares. "Is it cold...where you come from?"

 

Was he seriously going to talk about...weather.

 

 

"That depends, I don't exactly spend much time anywhere... But if you are speaking of where I was born, no, not really. To the west is the thick rainforest and to the east is desert. Why do you ask?- Did you want to know if you have to pack some fluffy coats to go with that armor because we are going to Skyrim, not Valenwood? So yeah, you'll need a coat."

 

"Maker, no... I was trying to be friendly... Please, by Andraste put some pants on." Cullen covered his face with his large hands.

 

"Are you really that uncomfortable looking at my legs?" Raven signed deep with a shake of her head, "You could just try not looking, I wouldn't go into your room and tell you to put pants on..."

 

 

That sounded better in her head.

 

 

Cullen cracked a smile cross his face with a light chuckle as he parted his hands, "Wouldn't that be the day, but humor me, what would you say?"

 

Probably something awkward or sarcastic, she thought.

 

 

"I'd ask if you needed a hand, but you'd probably have that covered." She replied.

 

 

"Makers breath, I didn't mean it like that!" Cullen's cheeks became flushed with his eyes wide in horror.

 

 

-"Oh... You're not into women then?"

 

 

Cullen threw his head back against the chair, "NO!... - I mean yes... I... Maker helps me...not like that." -

 

 

-"Mhm, I don't know Commander you seem to be the kind of man who likes to see a woman on her knees, working hard."

 

"Excuse me?"-

 

'I have to stop, like...now...' She thought.

 

 

"Er... Never mind boy scout..." Raven paused as Cullen blinked is eyes, hopelessly lost. "So...why did you come here, in the middle of the night?"

 

 

She was hoping it to be some kind of spur of the moment nightcap, though he didn't seem like the type, more of mama boy who started singing in the village choir at the age of nine.

 

 

"It was bad form wasn't it?" Cullen signed, "It's just when the Inquisitor came to me and told me of the news, of this 'plan' it had me...concerned, not that I am backing out, it's just that would I feel more comfortable knowing what I am getting myself into, going to a new land is nothing I imagined myself doing."

 

 

"Ah..."

 

So it was business he was here for...

 

 

"I wouldn't be too concerned, from what I have seen here it's not so different... Though you seem to have better-looking people oddly enough... Do you have a special someone?"

 

 

She had no idea why she asked, though seemed alright for Nord.

 

 

"Well I guess that is comforting to hear, and no, I have sworn templar till recently, but you probably have no idea what that is... Do you? - back home I mean."

 

 

"By the eight, no!" Raven chuckled as she covered her lips when she smiled, "It was all one night stands and poor decision making... Plus in my line of work, no one really settled down."

 

 

"Uh, yes... Your line of work." Cullen coughed, "Cassandra told me about you being a terrible thief."

 

Excuse me...

 

 

"I'll have you know boy scout, I was an amazing thief."

 

 

"Amazing..." Cullen paused with a smirk, "you don't seem to be doing too well for yourself if you don't mind me saying."

 

 

"At least I never had to resolve to eat rocks buddy." She scoffed back at Cullen.

 

 

The room fell silent, nothing but the soft crackles of fire filled the room, it was well past midnight now and Cullen looked tired physically and mentally. "I think is the time I left, thank you for your time...it has been enlightening." Cullen stood tall, pulling his gloves back on one at a time as he bowed his head with a single gesture.

 

"Wait!" Raven called as the door close.

 

"Yes?" The opened with a slight creak just enough so she could hear his voice.

 

"Tell me about The Blight?"

 

A single chuckle came from his side of the wall, "In the morning, it is late... Get some rest, you need not worry about such things here within these walls... Goodnight Raven."

 

The closed and everything went silent again. "Goodnight Cullen," She mumbled back walking to her bed.

 

 

 

 

The light was hazy and so bright it stung her eyes. The spring flowed freely as she followed it's crystal clear stream, it was cold and the water created a fog in the air, as the dropping temperatures caused the snow like flakes to gathered onto her shoulders. A hum came from the distance, louder it grew with every step and brighter it became, the rhythm now rang within her ears.

 

Dirt and river pebbles crunched against her knees as her fingers dug into the spoil pulling it up from the roots out. The hum and light stopped as she held the plant in her hand, a nirnroot twice the regular size with large healthy green leaves but the root itself was the good part, it was where the seeds had absorbed the minerals of Red Mountain.

 

Her fingers tightened around the nirnroot carefully folding up the roots and placing it in her satchel, the cool sounds of the water flowing calmed her aching head, for once it seemed like everything was going to be okay and the world didn't feel so bleak.

 

The current twisted as Raven followed it, a scurry of mudcrabs left the riverbank into the water with a splash as she became too close to them. An unfamiliar crunching sounded came from behind, not a splash nor the sounds of a creature, it sounded more of a bare foot stepping on dry branches. Her head turned to face the sound yet nothing was behind her, "Odd..." She mumbled turning back around.

 

Another cracking sound again came from her right as soon as she turned, someone or something was watching. "Show yourself..." She called twisting her neck to the sound trying to get a better look at whatever was stalking her from behind.

 

"So this what you dream about, impressive..."

 

The voice almost made her jump out of her boots, "Solas?!" He stood right in front of her out of nowhere. "I...ah...shit, Solas, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

 

A smile grew wide across his face with a soft chuckle, "Please forgive my intrusion, my curiosity got the best of me - Is this your world? - It looks strangely familiar."

 

 

What in oblivion was he talking about...

 

"Solas, what are you doing in Tamriel? - you should be back with Witbane..."

 

He shook his head as he thinned his lips, "This is The Fade, can you not tell? In truth I wondered what effect it would have on an outsider, it's why I came... Your mind was weaker than I thought to break into, something made me presume it would be impossible, though it seems not."

 

"The Fade? - I am not dreaming, I don't dream... This is some kind of trick." Raven stood their blank, her knees felt oddly weak like she had been standing for days at an end.

 

How did I get here? She thought, her mind throbbed inside her head.

 

"Oh shit...OH SHIT." She yelled, "FUCK..." Her hand grabbed her arm and pinched it as hard as she could but she didn't wake.

 

Solas laughed, "That will not work I am afraid, it is an old wives tale."

 

Fingers went numb as she stood opposite the bold elven man in whites and pastel olive greens. "I am dreaming...which means I am asleep?!" This was bad, as bad as things could get, that meant the Brotherhood would be hot on her heels again before she knew it, when would they give up.

 

"Wait, if I am dreaming...I am being followed, yes... But what are you doing here? I normally dream of tall attractive Altmer men...not....ah... Well, let's just say you're not my type..."

 

"Pardon?" He stated confused.

 

 

Solas was defiantly older than her, maybe around Neloth's age for sure and she had no idea how old he was at least a few hundred, and Raven was around thirty this year, but age wasn't the problem, Solas just seemed kind of dull... and didn't he have a thing with Faelyn Lavellan?

 

No, maybe that was her childish imagination.

 

 

Raven moved forward, it was just a dream so nothing mattered anyway, and it was the first dream she had in ages, not mention how crazily vivid it was.

 

Her clammy hands grabbed his ivory woolen tunic in her grasp, it felt softer than she imagined. Solas' smelt of burnt sage and the lead of paint but something was almost even alluring about it in this one moment.

 

"What do you think you are--" Solas' voice was cut off my a sway of blond hair and a parting of lips that greeted his own like a friend he had not seen in many years. He felt the warmth of her hands as she grasped his shirt in her hands against the subtle curves of his elven waist. his hands dropped as she pulled him close to her unknown nimble body, a light frame she possessed like the body of his own people, yet different, more strength in her arms and legs and border hips almost like a human but tiny waist fit for grabbing.

 

Raven tilted her head furthering their entwined kissed as Solas' hands shyly clenched her waist, however, something was off, she could feel it in her stomach twisting away at her. Lips slowly parted from his own, wet and tasting of something unfamiliar.

 

Solas blinked his eyes as they parted, wiping his bottom lip with the edge of his thumb, "I am sorry, I shouldn't have...it's been awhile."

 

That was odd for someone to say in her dream, no one had ever apologized to her within a dream before. "That felt...too real, no one has ever kissed me like that in a dream before... Did you use tongue on me?!" Raven tilted one eyebrow at Solas.

 

"No!! - And this is real, in a matter of speaking..."

 

"Er...yes you did... -and this is not real Solas... Why are you trying to confuse me in my own dreams?!" She felt sick to her stomach, something told her he was telling the truth, but how could this be real. Memories flashed back to when she was awake, her last memory was laying on the bed, book in hand reading about The Blight... The Blight, she thought..."SHIT!!"

 

"What is the matter?!" Solas was quickly alerted by her sudden panic, he could see the true horror in her eyes, maybe a side effect from The Fade, he had to wake her fast.

 

 

"GET AWAY FROM ME DAGOTH!!!" She slapped him with the back of her hand, just as she woke up back in bed covered in sweat, and the blankets had been tossed piled up on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally wrote Commander Shepard, instead of Commander Cullen... X"D 
> 
> \--
> 
> "Wait!" Raven calls. 
> 
> *The door opens* Cullen: "Don't worry... We'll bang, ok?"


	11. Tongue Deep in Trouble.

 

# Tongue Deep in Trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

When Faelyn woke the sun was high in the sky, Leliana's ravens squawked so loud it pierced his ears. His shirt was buttoned and his tan leather boots laced, today was going to be a good day, he could almost feel it.

 

The hall was as full as usual, with the typical amount of Orlesian nobles gathered in numbers awaiting Josie's attention, he was just glad it wasn't him they were trying to hunt down in their feathery hats and sparkly frocks.

 

Dorian was at the end of the hall talking Varric, he wondered what they were speaking of though it was probably just the latest Inquisition gossip.

"Ah good morning Inquisitor, mhm?" Dorian smiled with a curved lip as he placed his fist to his chin.

 

Dorian was rather striking for man, Faelyn thought, the idea of it confused him at times, he had no idea whether it was his fancy dress or that accent, yet he always uncomfortably apparelling his the eyes.

 

"Indeed it is Dorian, I had wondrous dreams... Of course, you were in them." Faelyn winked with a grin.

"Oh no, you flatter me, Inquisitor!" Dorian shook his head as his eyes sparkled in the light of the candles within the building.

 

"So, what's the latest news around this place?" He asked facing Varric and Dorian.

 

"Mh, ah you know, the usual." Varric shrugged, "Nothing noteworthy of a tale, though our one and only Curly were seen leaving the gardens in the dead of night and we still haven't seen our little bird around either..." He laughed, "Now that I think about it-" Varric paused and looked to Dorian, " I haven't seen Solas either... Odd."

 

"That is odd, do you think Solas is with Raven?"

 

"Dunno." Varric shrugged, "They're probably just talking elfy shit..."

 

Faelyn chuckled delightedly by his short friend. "Hopefully she teaches him some fashion sense." Dorian pursed his lips, "You too Faelyn, one of these days you'll own a wardrobe that contains more than two color combinations, or so I pray to The Maker."

"You are too kind Dorian." Faelyn bowed his head with a smile, "I suppose I should go check on Raven and Solas, imagine what kind of trouble those two could get up too." He laughed.

 

 

"JUST MAKE SURE YOU KNOCK," Dorian called out Faelyn as he began to walk off.

 

 

 

 

Would they be doing that, no... Faelyn thought to himself, Solas wasn't that kind of man, he was too reserved and mature for that, though he wasn't exactly likely to settle down anytime soon, maybe he did enjoy a little moonlight tryst every-now-again.

 

Faelyn took two steps at a time coming closer to the room Raven resided in, he knocked like Dorian suggested, twice.

But no one answered. "Ah..." Faelyn coughed, "I am coming in and I want to see pants, pants on everyone."

 

The door slowly creaked opened yet there was no light coming from the room, normally the fireplace was always lit or at least some candles in these dank windowless rooms.

Faelyn could hardly see a thing, he stepped in but the room somehow looked like it had been shuffled around. "Ah?" he mumbled.

 

"Don't take another step forward." A voice said softly from across the room.

"Raven?" Faelyn lit his fist with a flame to get a better look, but before he could get a good look an arrow came flying towards him snagging his shirt's collar, pinning him to the wall just missing his flesh by centimeters.

 

"RAVEN!" He yelled, quickly grasping the arrow that pinned him tight, "It's me Faelyn, Lavellan... The Inquisitor... REMEMBER?!"

"Witbane? SHIT... I am sorry, fuck." He heard feet jump down from distance and pitter-patter over the floor, "Don't move whatever you do." A ball of fire hit the fireplace, lighting it with a roar and a crackle.

 

His eyes could finally see in front of him, the room had been entirely shifted, complete with traps and trip wires. "Expecting someone?" He asked, horrified by what he was seeing.

"Kinda, I accidentally feel asleep...and that's not even the worst part." Raven stood their white as a ghost with dark circles around her eyes.

 

"What happened, is everything okay?!"

Raven shook her head, "NO, NOTHING ABOUT THIS OKAY." She yelled raising her voice, "I met Dagoth Ur and he used his tongue on me!" She cried mortified.

 

"Pardon?" Faelyn coughed awkwardly not expecting her to say that as the arrow finally came loose, "Ah tell me somewhat happened and don't be afraid to get really detailed." He laughed.

 

"NOT LIKE THAT!" She yelled pushing his chest, "I had a dream I was in Tamriel, I dunno where, maybe on the Border of Skyrim, and I was collecting nirnroots when your lover Solas just popped out of nowhere..." She paused as her breath quickened, "And well- he was really, really there...in MY dream Faelyn... That shit is just not normal, I felt his tongue on me." Raven covered her face in fear, "He is Dagoth Ur, he spreads The Blight, it's why it is here... IT'S ALL SOLAS."

 

 

"Shit," Faelyn grasped, grasping Raven and pulling her tight to his chest to comfort her, "Was Solas good at using his tongue?"

"I fucking hate you," She sobbed in his arms.

 

 

 

 

Faelyn turned to Raven passing her a hot cup of tea, she really did look worse for wear. "So you're telling me Solas is some kind of ancient god-like being?"

 

Raven nodded with her knees to her chest holding the cup in her trembling hands.

 

"-And he is now spreading The Blight and infecting peoples dreams by...using his tongue on them?" Faelyn raised an eyebrow is Raven as he took a seat next to her on her bed.

 

"Mh mhm." She mumbled with a nod of her head as she took a sip of the hot tea. "Shit, it was so horrible." Raven closed her eyes, "I can still feel it...in my mouth..." she stuck her tongue out with a gross expression on her face.

 

"No wonder you look like shit." Faelyn shrugged, "Do you think he gave you...ah...disease?"

 

"That's what I thought when I woke up, I didn't know what to do... The Blight can only be cured by the minerals of Red Mountain, so I did what I could to make up for it." She looked him in the eyes, still white as ever and trembling.

 

"Ah, what did you do?" He asked.

 

"I ate my supply of nirnroots." Raven's hands trembled as she brought her tea to her lips.

 

"I am guessing those aren't exactly...appetizing?"

 

"No worse...they are poisonous, lucky I have a high tolerance to poisons from my training with the Brotherhood, but my health and Magicka are low now, I don't think I'll be able to fight off any assassins if they track me here."

 

"That does not sound healthy," Faelyn said alarmed, eating poisonous plants did not sound like a good idea, no wonder she looked like death.

"Maybe we should get you some medical attention?"

 

"No, no... I can't leave this room, Dagoth is out there...and...and he knows that I have discovered his identity, shit...and I thought The Brotherhood and the Thalmor were bad...fuck me, fuck everything..." Raven slammed down her cup onto the end table next to the bed and reached for her black bow.

 

"Raven, what are you doing?" He asked as she stood grabbing her quiver and fastening it to her back with a single arrow in her hand, whatever she was doing it was going to be bad.

 

"He's already been defeated twice... I can...I...."

 

"You're not going to go and kill Solas..."

 

"HE WILL SPREAD HIS DISEASE IF WE DO NOT STOP HIM!"

 

"Alright, alright... No need to yell, we'll go speak to this, Dagoth...okay?" Faelyn stood and gathered himself, of course, he did not believe a word she said, out of all the things Solas was, a god was the least of them.

 

Raven barged out in front of him, bow in hand and pushed the door open, "Hey maybe leave the bow behind?" She didn't answer, only with a glare that pierced into his very soul, even worse than Cassandra's. "Okay...keep it, but...lets him talk first?"

 

"Fine, I'll let him speak, then I'll kill him...happy?"

 

Faelyn swallowed thickly in his throat, hopefully, Solas could talk her out of this nonsense.  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will there be a day when I stop being childish? the answer is no...


	12. The Rise of The Sixth House.

 

 

 

# The Rise of The Sixth House.

 

 

"WHERE IS HE?!" Raven yelled charging through the garden, chantry folk looked on in horror as she pushed through them past Mother Giselle. Morrigan watched on through her gazebo with her son at her side and a book in her hand as Mother Giselle tried calling out for The Inquisitor.

 

Faelyn had previously gotten into many arguments with the Holy Mother, sometimes about religion and Gods other times she had personally accused him of rumors involving him and Dorian when he was courting Cassandra, and yet a relationship with Dorian would have been so much easier than having to cope with Cassandra's wild mood swings.

 

"Busy, I am Busy...Later." Faelyn waved his hand back towards the Chantry Mother, he had no time for her, now, later or anytime soon.

 

Morrigan's ember eyes glared from the distance, watching his every movement that quickened his heartbeat to the point he could feel his chest thumbing, something about that witch always made him feel uncomfortable, maybe it was the way she acted coy, or her mentioning's of her far away elven lover, 'You remind me of my Mahariel' Morrigan stated. The hero of Fereldan had too been from the Dalish clans like Faelyn, he even received a letter from the Hero after Morrigan had drunk from Mythal's well, 'Look after my family.' He wrote, and Faelyn planned on doing so as he would for any of his Dalish brothers or sisters. In the quiet afternoons, he took pleasure in sitting with Mahariel's son Kieran as he told him tales of the elven people he had enjoyed as a boy, sometimes...just sometimes Faelyn would envy the Hero's family.

 

Raven's pace quickened with her long strides she took as Faelyn followed from behind as fast as he could without running, her body was different to his and though they were both elves, Faelyn often forgot that they were nothing alike. "Raven, slow down... We still have to find him yet, you can't act rashly."

 

"He tried giving me corpus! - that long-eared motherfuc--"

 

"Raven!" Faelyn grabbed her arm and pulled her back, they both stood there silently as they had just entered the main hall of the Inquisition. Varric sat at the end in his large oversized stone built chair with Bianca laid out in front as he polished her wooden frame.

 

"Hold still, don't move." Faelyn scoffed with a demand of authority she had not seen until now. His steps were taken fast and quietly as he passed from one side to the other wondering over to Varric who's hands were covered in a thick black oil subsistence. "Varric, have you seen Solas yet?...it's important."

 

Varric looked up grabbing a rag from his table as he wiped his hands, "Mhm, I have... He just got in now, he wouldn't say what he was doing but he did have a nasty looking bruise face." Varric chuckled, "Which means there's a good story in the making Inquisitor."

 

Because any story about Solas' Fade tongue would be a real gem, he thought with a shake of his head, "Thanks Varric." Faelyn nodded his head as he walked to Solas' door as he opened it slowly to see his elven friend sitting at his desk with one red flustered looking cheek.

 

Faelyn glanced back to Raven as she still stood there with her bow in hand, "Just give me a minute." He mouthed silently towards her as she crossed her arms and frowned.

 

"Solas!"

 

"Inquisitor?"

 

Solas' head moved from his book to look at the Inquisitor, his face had really taken a beating from Raven. "What happened to your face?" He asked his friend.

 

A breath of air came from Solas with a heavy sigh, "It is the consequence of a poorly formed decision, Inquisitor...nothing more."

 

"So you are telling me you didn't use your Fade tongue to spread the Blight?"

 

Solas blinked his eyes almost speechless, in his thousands of years he never expected to hear such a thing. "Excuse me?" he said with his eyes wide utterly shocked.

 

Faelyn moved forward and placed his hands down on Solas' desk, "A little bird told me you've been keeping things from me Solas, that you are in fact an ancient elven god, here to overthrow society and replace it with what was!" Faelyn raised his voice to an almost deep yell that he meant for a jest.

 

His fingers tingled with a shock throughout his body, how did the Inquisitor find out, who had told him...Flemeth...Morrigan... He knew the well would tell things he could not fathom. "Inquisitor I assure you..."

 

"No, not another word out of you!" Faelyn frowned bringing his hands up folding them to his chest dramatically as he tossed his head to the side, "I can't believe you would spread the Blight Solas, that's just low... I am truly ashamed."

 

"But..." Solas paused as his heart skipped a beat, "I have nothing to do with the Blight or Red Lyrium!"

 

"BETTY NETCH SHIT!" Raven kicked the door down with one high powered kick with the raw force or her knee, "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE."

 

Solas turned his head to the elven woman that stood now in the room causing a scene, he had to be careful how he used his words. With a slide of his chair, he pushed it back from his desk as he folded one leg over the other and crossed his arms with a glare.

 

"Do tell...enlighten me with this wisdom of yours."

 

"YOU INFECTED MY DREAMS, TRYING TO CONTROL ME. I KNOW YOU ARE DAGOTH UR, I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT I WILL FIND OUT." Raven yelled at the top of her voice raising her bow.

 

Solas squinted his eyes as a sign of temporary relief washed over him. His legs unfolded as he stood slowly, pacing forward with his hands in clear site.

 

"I am not this 'Dagoth' you keep referring to me too, you have my word," Solas said calmly trying to soothe her worries before she tells more people of her God theory.

 

"I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT COMES OF THAT MOUTH OF YOURS."

 

"Raven please," Faelyn spoke, "Solas is clearly harmless...look at him!"

 

Solas through his head back, "Harmless?!" was the Inquisitor mocking his raw powers.

 

Raven turned her head to Faelyn as she raised her bow and an arrow in her hand, "There's one way to make sure, If he doesn't die we'll know the truth...and if does... Well...he'll learn not tongue someone in their dreams."

 

  
"What's going on in here, why is everyone yelling?!" Cassandra stormed in, a sword was drawn in her hand and ready to strike as she met eye to eye to Raven watching the bow in her hand. "Why does she have a weapon a drawn, DROP YOUR WEAPON." Cassandra roared like a dragon protecting its clutch of eggs.

 

"NO, I RESIST ARREST," Raven yelled back turning her aim to Cassandra.

 

"By the Creators!" Faelyn yelled, "EVERYONE CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"

 

Everything was out of control, was Raven really about to kill Cassandra and Solas, she was an assassin, after all, maybe he did doubt her mercy at the beginning from her charm. Solas turned to lift a hand quickly to the unware Raven distracted by Cassandra, his fingers reached out and grabbed her from behind pressing two of his fingers to her forehead. Raven's legs became limp as her bow fell from her grasp onto the stone floor with a clunk, Solas held the girl in his grasp as her head rolled back against his shoulder.

 

"What...what did you just do to her?" Faelyn demanded loud towards Solas, this time with no hint of a joke but pure fury in his voice, sick to death of everyone's drama. "I put her to sleep, Inquisitor" Solas lowered the elven woman slowly to the floor, her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful enough.

 

"Thank you, Solas." Cassandra said walking closer to the sleeping elf curled up on the floor, "Put her back in the cells so she can learn some manners." Her voice scoffed down at Raven.

 

"Like that's going to do anything Cassandra, last time she just escaped...she'll do so again," Faelyn muttered annoyed everyone.

 

"Then chain her to the walls if you have too," Cassandra said with an authority that even overpowered the Inquisitor.

 

"But..."

 

"NOW."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who doesn't know who Dagoth Ur is I am sorry for boring you... I probably am...  
> I'll stop with the Morrowind stuff soon, I promise. XD
> 
> But I have never seen anyone bring up the similarities of Dagoth Ur and Solas before. they seriously have a lot in common!! 
> 
> Not to mention Neloth talks about Dagoth Ur, so Raven would of heard of 200 year old tales from him.
> 
> \--


	13. A New Dawn.

 

# A New Dawn.

 

 

 

 

  
  
The sound of clattering iron shackles and rushing water rang in her ears, the air of room felt icy like someone had left her bedroom door open. Toes twitched and fingers curled around a strand of unfamiliar fabric that felt rough to the touch. Eyes fluttered in the soft darkness as her hands tried to pull her hair back from her face but something tugged them back with a forceful pull.

 

"Mhmmm..." She mumbled, still half asleep, drowsy with a fever that froze her to the bone. A gentle voice said something that she couldn't understand, it was too quiet and soft. Raven turned over, something was digging into her hip, maybe a buckle from her belt, why was she sleeping with a belt on. Her eyes opened slowly to see a shadow of a figure sitting beside her.

 

"Where am I...what..." She asked feeling almost in a drunken state, her vision blurred and her head spun with the nirnroot toxins still flowing in her veins. The voice answered but it sounded like a jumbled mess to her ears as she begun to feel the restricting binding on her wrists. "Really?" She groaned annoyed and delirious, "Again...." she half laughed with a tickly cough.

 

"Yeah, again." She finally heard the voice speak clearly to her ears.

 

"Lavellan...Witbane?" Her eyes fluttered towards the boyish-looking man that sat beside her in his dull as ever looking clothes. "Just Faelyn or Witbane," He laughed pulling the chains around her hand loose. Raven watched his hands closely as they loosened the tightness around her wrists, "How old are you?" She asked him curiously, he had didn't look old at all especially for someone of his rank, how did he come into this possession of status.

 

"Twenty-five, yet I fear I'll never grow up." He smiled down at the hopeless assassin, "How old are you?"

 

That wasn't very old, she thought, though it did seem to match his look and why he seemed so boyish till. Raven thinned her lip with a curl and shook her head, "Twenty-five, you have plenty of years left to grow up Witbane, I am thirty myself." Half the time she felt about four-hundred thirty. Elves lived long years, some she had known to live up to around five hundred, yet that was rare even for vampires and even less for assassins and thieves.

 

"I thought you were...younger..." Faelyn shrugged with his shoulders, thirty was not old, but she didn't look that old. "I'll just take that as a compliment then." Raven smiled, "I was expecting you to think I was a few hundred with those looks your giving me." She continued to say.

 

Faelyn frowned his brow, "Your people live that long, how?... wait, you're joking aren't you..." 

 

"Mhm?" Raven attempted to pull herself up as she slowly sat on the straw mattress that was laid under her. "Are you telling me yours don't?"

 

"No, they aren't... We were once immortal so they say until humans arrived... But there are humans in your world right? - Beings such as Cassandra and Cullen?"

 

Raven nodded her head, "Nords, Imperials, Redguards, and Bretons who are half elf and half human. We are not immortal though we just live much longer lives than humans, yet you can still archive immortality if that is what is desired. Vampirism,  Sanguinare Vampiris for one will make you immortal, and it is quite easy to contract, even I have had it once...though few would desire such a disease."

 

"Immortally from a disease?" Faelyn was shocked, wouldn't everyone want it if it granted eternal life. "Mh, I guess you don't have that here either huh? - Trust me, it has its cons... But hey, if you want your face to turn into a prune while you can only feed on the blood of your fresh victims, who am I to stop you." Raven laughed with a smile that lit up her face even within the dank cell, "Speaking of Vampirism, I hear Breton's taste the best."

 

"Drinking...only fresh victims...like humans?" Ew, he thought while almost gagging on his thought. "But it must have it's pros, right? - it can't all be bad..."

 

"If you count being nocturnal a plus, sure...though the sun will kill you, oh...I do hear that at night you become extra strong and you gain extra magical abilities, I've heard stories of vampires turning into fog or swam of bats, even turning into giant beasts with flapping wings!"

 

"Okay, now you are just making things up, those Nirn-thingy's you ate have gone straight to your head, you are talking absolute shit now." Faelyn chuckled totally amused by this strange outlander. 

 

 "No...well okay, yeah it could be shit, it was a vampire who told me, The Dark Brotherhood loves recruiting them and werewolves because of their extra abilities...it's what you have to look forward to when we head for Skyrim." Raven signed with a breathy groan, "vampires...werewolves... Ugh, lots of assassins to drag you off in the middle of the night, lucky for me I am pretty sure they want me alive to 'suffer' for my actions."  

 

"Lovely, that's...just wonderful news." if anyone could pick their friends it was this gal right here, "Lanaste fra ma." He muttered under his breath in his own people's tongue.

 

Raven blinked her eyes towards the strange man, while she twisted away at her cuffs binding her hands, they were made with flimsy iron that was poorly tempered and non enchanted against any form of magic, she had no idea what was the point of them was, or what service they would be provided. "You speak a different language huh?"

 

"Elven from my people, you do not?" Raven shook her head as she rattled away, "Too bad, it would have been interesting to exchange elven languages, we do not know much of my people's history, much of it was lost to us. You with your many elven races amongst your land much be rich with history, is it not?"

 

"Well yeah, but no one really gives a fuck about it, to be honest, expect the mages, scholars, and people who seek Daedric artifacts... People only want to know the exciting tales, tales heroism, great feats, and epic battles. Bosmer's, my people don't exactly have a lot, other than the fact that my people where invaded by the Aldmeri Dominion when the Great War began, and instead of fighting, they made an alliance... My people Faelyn, are tree fucking cravens."

 

"Sometimes people know when to cut there loses Raven, that doesn't make your people cowards...maybe they just chose not to die..." Faelyn paused for a moment that made seconds feel like hours, his hand drew his attention or was it now the anchor that scarred his palm. "See this?" Faelyn opened his palm with slow unwinding fingers baring the mark that was unfairly thrown upon him.

 

Raven looked down at his hand, not sure what she was seeing exactly, a scar...a very strange looking scar... "Faelyn, tell me that's not contagious."

 

"No, shut up, I am trying to be serious...listen to me." He frowned not wanting to joke around. "This mark, The Anchor, it is the only reason you see everything around you. I was prisoner not long ago, much like yourself... I didn't want anything to do with this place, I just felt like a stupid kid trying to fit in. People I didn't know demanded things from me, made me leave my home and everything I knew behind... I had no idea how to interact with humans from growing up in the wilds, all I knew were my own people's customs.

I had to learn more of their language, their history, shit, I even had to learn to dress like them just to fit in...And yet everyone still makes fun of me, too be completely honest with you, I hate all of it...this isn't me, none of it is, The Inquisition dresses me to fit in within their high society, so I seem 'approachable,' to noble lords."  Faelyn lowed his head placing his thumb and index fingers over his eyes with a sway of fridge covering his face.

   
Raven had no idea what to say, she almost felt sorry for him and she nearly ever felt compassion, long years with the Brotherhood snuffed out most of her compassion and mercy. Faelyn looked sad, maybe even miserable...but he always seemed so happy and full of life. "Why don't you just go, nothing is stopping you from leaving..."

 

"I can't." He replied softly lowing his hand down to his knee as he pulled the anchor causing Raven to jolt backward with her eyes wide. "Shit!" She yelled, "What...what was that?!"

 

 "A curse... a jail sentence... maybe both, it's the only thing that can stop my world from tearing open at the seams, and just like you, I have the shit luck that it happened to get strapped to my hand."

 

"Wow, yeah...you win who has the crappiest life competition."  Raven frowned down at the strange scar that glowed an emerald green, the same color as his eyes.

 

"That's not even the best part though, no one will say it too me...I guess they don't have too, but...well I pretty sure it's going to kill me...I mean...shit...I dunno, I guess I am okay with it...but..." Faelyn stared down at his hand blankly for a moment as only the rushing sound of water filled the air, as it crashed against the rocks from beneath the waterfall that cracked open parts of the jail.

 

"Faelyn... " Raven paused as she shook her head at him and took his marked hand in hers with a tight squeeze that made her shackles rattle and clunk together. "You say I talk shit, this is shit...you shouldn't be upset by this...no, you should be fucking mad, screw them, all of them... Let your anger out, stop pretending to be so happy all the time, punch someone for fuck's sake!"

 

Faelyn pulled his hand back from her grasp, with a grin on his face from her stupid comment, "I am not taking your advice, you've been here under a week and have been thrown in the sky cells, twice... you're not exactly a good role model."

 

 "Ugh," She signed, finally giving up on the shackles that gripped her wrists tight, the chain snapped with one tug of her wrists apart, only leaving the bracelet like iron pieces dangling around her wrists. "You need a better smith Faelyn," she frowned with a glare, "And you should take my advise and punch Dagoth for starters."

 

"Please not this again." He said as watched the broken chain hit the floor as she snapped it like it was a piece of string, "Solas is harmless Raven, truly...you have nothing to worry about..."

 

 She doubted his option though maybe she was wrong, but that wasn't going to stop her from believing Solas was everything he appeared to be, he was shady and hiding something from everyone, she had been undercover enough in her time to know when someone is putting on act and spreading a web of lies ready to snag everyone who falls victim. "You should keep your eyes on him, I know when someone is lying Faelyn, whether he is Dagoth Ur or not, he is incredibly old and with age comes to power."

 

 

 

 

 

 

A week had passed maybe more, the cell grew smaller with every day and Raven yet pondered why she even let them cage her for this long. The days grew long and slower without the constant reminder of sunlight to warm her skin in the morning. Commander Cullen came once a day to see her down in the dark pits of her cell, he brags books to sate her boredom, though his battle stories and ones on The Maker grew even more boring after awhile. Soon he offered to play her in chess and though the battles often lingered through the night he was more than pleasant company.

 

Faelyn came once every afternoon if he had them spare, yet most of the time he seemed busy or taken with other tasks, so much so she started to feel bad for wasting his time on her, instead of him spending it elsewhere, however he did seem to enjoy there talks on elven history, even if it wasn't his own.

 

Varric had popped around once or thrice, he asked of stories and ledges of her world, creatures that roamed the nights, dragons and politics she couldn't stand, but on occasion, he would pull out a deck of cards and show her a new game, Wicked Grace.

 

Her next door neighbor was a man named Alexius, he often spoke aloud about anything to do with time travel, it was all he ever wanted to talk about, which would have been okay if he didn't speak about it non-stop for the last five days.

 

Another day past by, but this time without any visitors...and so did the following...

 

It was only till the fourteenth day did someone finally come to visit, but it wasn't Cullen nor Varric or even Faelyn. "Who are you?" She asked at the mysterious man peering through her barred doors. "I want this one out now, I must chat with her away from prying ears, c'mon now I don't have all day," He tsked his sharp tongue. "Ah, yes...good, good help is such pain to find." He smiled back to Raven as the jailor inserted the key with a twist. The door creaked with a rusted hinge as it swang open as the man entered and landed his hand for a helpful pull. "It's good to see you, though not in here I presume." He chuckled with a bright smile and a twinkle in his eye.

 

Raven took his hand in hers, it was as soft as milk and he smelt of scented oils and rose water. "Who are you exactly?" He looked like a Telvanni mage from the way he dressed. "It doesn't matter right now, girl...too many noisy ears in here...we'll speak once you see the light...maybe get a bath too..." He tilted an eyebrow with a smile.

 

"Dorian...is that you?" Alexius reached an arm out of his cell door.

 

"See? Let's go elsewhere...now preferably." Dorian said to Raven while ignoring Alexius as the walked from deep cell to the light that sun brightly against her skin, giving a sign of relief.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my horrific tales- yes, I am fully aware of how bad they are.  
> So yeah, thank you...
> 
> I swear this story isn't all going to be cheap laughs.. (Please do tell me if my humour is crap\ or cringe worthy...) Like, I NEED to know...  
> Though I do love to mock both games endlessly...and I will even more so once we get to Skyrim. 
> 
> \--  
> Also, yes...Raven does bring up diseases a lot (And so you would if you come from Tamriel) You get diseases' from everything... "Oh look it's a mudcrab..."
> 
> *YOU HAVE CONTRACTED ROCKJOINT, PREPARE TO DIE*


	14. Home Coming.

 

# Home Coming.

 

 

  
The sun was bright than Raven remembered, a hand lifted to eyes shielding them from the mid-afternoon sun that shone heavy in the sky. "So are you going to tell me who you are, and where you are taking me? - Where's Faelyn?" She felt so stupid for asking, though she had yet pondered if something had happened to him, he was slowly dying after all...so he said. "Ah, he's fine...don't you worry your pretty little head, our dear Inquisitor was just finishing up some business in The Hinterlands, Redcliffe is always so needy, dear me..." Dorian paused as rubbed his thin pointed mustache with the edge of his thumb, "I am Dorian, Dorian Pavus and as the robe suggests, I am a mage, my girl."

 

Yes, a mage she thought like he really had to say it out loud, why would he bother telling her...people from here were so weird. "Mhm, I am Raven...though you probably already know, I am an archer, an assassin and I kill people with my bare hands..." She responded by throwing her hands in the air with her broken shackles clunking together.

 

"Ah, yes...so I have heard." Dorian smiled with a tsk of his tongue, "Bright you are and those little hands are quite skilled, aren't they... Anyhow, we have other tasks at hand that need more attention than our beautiful selves, so I must be rash...we have to head straight to the war-room, the Inquisitor and Cullen await our presence."

 

"Oh, so now they want to see me, huh, they only want to speak to me when it's convenient for them?"

 

Raven couldn't believe it, all this time and she had only been a tool for them to use and screw over... Well, she too could play that game and twice as hard, no one used her for a doormat.

 

"No, no-one has blown you off, you are a clingy one aren't you?"

 

Did he just call her clingy...She was not clingy nor needy or anything in between.

 

"I am not clingy." She snarled back, questioning her words...but she knew she wasn't, she hadn't been in years... Raven had learned to cope, how to survive on her own as an assassin a thief and as a woman in Tamriel, neither was easy and there was always someone out there looking to exploit your weaknesses.

 

"Yes, and I am the queen of Antiva as you can see..." Dorian shook his head as they walked silently to the main hall of Skyhold. Raven still wrap her head around how odd things were here, people were so different yet the world seemed the same, even her travels that took her to distance provinces had never taken her to somewhere as odd as this.

 

The halls widened out as they walked through a cozy warm room with a desk to the corner and a roaring fireplace that crackled with dying embers. "Just a little further... Here we are." Dorian smiled as he knocked on the large twin double doors made from thick heavy wood. "Ah, you're here - come in." A voice said opening the door to show a large stretched out table, the very same one she had seen on her the first day after being in prison.

 

Six individuals now stood around the table consuming the room, Cassandra, and Leliana where to the west and east, Cullen and Solas standing opposite Faelyn with Dorian greeting them with a smile. "It's good to see you," Faelyn said quietly with a professional voice that was uncomfortable to her ears. "So it is..." she replied with her eyes not leaving Solas besides him, "Dagoth," Raven narrowed her eyes towards the false God.

 

"Enough!" Cassandra slammed her hand down on the table, "we have important matters to discuss, no foolishness!"

"Indeed," Leliana spoke over the top as she held a notepad in hand, "I still think this a bad idea Inquisitor, who knows what dangers you'll face in this new land and if Corypheus was to strike-"

 

"Which is why I I'll have a constant connection with this world, Dorian and I have linked crystals to speak, we will be constantly updating each other on current advents." Faelyn interrupted.

 

"That doesn't mean-" Cassandra opened her mouth.

 

" - Everything will be fine Cassandra, Corypheus is in hiding as we speak, this is the most opportune time to strike," Faelyn said.

 

" - I would at least agree to that, Inquisitor." Leliana nodded, "Corypheus has been very quiet for last few weeks, this would be the best time if there is any at all."

 

Cassandra crossed her arms with a sign, "Yes, very well...you have made your point, but perhaps you should consider taking another human with you, Blackwall - Thom Rainier maybe...Commander Cullen could be needed here while your gone."

 

"No, Blackwall I fear isn't ready for such tasks, he is emotionally not ready and for Commander Cullen..." Faelyn stopped as Cullen spoke for himself.

 

"Scout Harding is taking my position while I take my leave, you'll find she quite suits the role." Cullen smiled straightening the fur on his armor. "Cassandra, I have plenty of skill in battle to rest assure that our Inquisitor will come back unharmed."

 

"This trip should prove ultimately valuable to us, the things we could uncover could be earth shattering..." Solas said.

 

"No, no discovering, no taking scenic roots... You get what we need then you all return, that is the deal." Cassandra spoke loudly, her word was going to be the last.

 

"Very well, seeker." Solas bowed his head.

 

  
Two hours went by, two very loud hours or arguments and disagreements until a plan was finally devised. It wasn't going to be easy and Raven had no desire to be some kind of tour guide to Tamriel to outlanders seeking treasures but she agreed to it for her own sake, it was either live here in peace or steal a mountain of gold and sail to Akavir.

 

Though one thing yet stood in here way of the first plan, Azura's star... It was in the possession of Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn, or so she was told by a priestess of Azura back in Morrowind when traveling to Blacklight, yet how did one get the attention of a Dragonborn, they could be anywhere...and who was to say they'd even be in Skyrim anymore...

 

The Blades would know it should find one...though the Thalmor would make that almost impossible, maybe climb the seven thousand steps to the Grey-beards...no, her legs hurt just thinking of it. Maybe if she was to start havoc in a town, they would have to show...or even... A Black Sacrament, they were the Listener, after all, if she was to send a contact to the Nightmother herself, perhaps it could work...but would she send the Listener, Raven had no idea...

 

It was finally done, everything had been sorted out to the best they could agree, Cullen, Solas, Faelyn, and Raven were heading to Tamriel or more specifically Skyrim tomorrow. Raven had no idea how long it would take or how far their journeys would take them but she was not looking forward to it, it was going to be tiring and long....and not to forget dangerous.

 

 

 

 

Hot water graced Raven's toes as she submerged herself in the calming bath waters, filled with scented oils and soaps, it had been far too long since she had seen such relief after being thrown in that dank dark cell. The water glistened on her skin as she scrubbed away two weeks of dirt and grime, dunking her hair in the water was the most solace she had endured in months.

 

"I bought the beetroots." A figure appeared behind her in a blink of an eye holding a bundle in his hands. "Cole, excellent!" Raven smiled, "You sure the kitchens won't find out?" Cole shook his head with a smile, "No-one ever remembers."

 

Raven blinked her eyes towards the strange boy, an ability to make people forget sounded like a useful skill. "You know, if you ever get sick of your 'Inquisitors' merry little band, we could team up you and me...we could start our own guild... THE BEST THIEVES IN ALL THEDAS!" Raven stretched out her hands from the thick layer of soapy bubbles of the water.

 

Cole shook his head with a smile, "I like to help, being like you would not help." He past over the beetroots in his outstretched hands.

 

"I dunno, we could steal from the rich and give to the poor?"

 

"You have never given anything to the poor," Cole stated.

 

"Yes...though I could try...maybe." Raven chuckled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Raven are you in there, are you decent?" Faelyn knocked away at the door three times with a steady rhythm, awaiting her reply on the other end, she had been in there for hours, what was taking so long...

 

"Yeah..." A soft voice came from the side.

 

"Well good...I am coming in." Faelyn's hand reached for the doorknob as he twisted it with a push.

 

 

She was still in the tub...and covered head to toe in bubbles.

 

 

"REALLY?" Faelyn signed pushing his fingers to his eyes with a heavy breath of air, "Still?!"

 

"Yeah..." was all she said, again.

 

"What in the void did you do to your hair?" Faelyn had finally noticed under all the bubbles, a thick mass of blood red hair, why would she do such a thing...it was preposterous.

 

"Oh, that...Your Cole did it, I think he quite enjoyed himself, he is the only decent company around here and not to forget a wonderful hairdresser..." Cole smiled from behind Raven with red stained hands and a giant grin under his large floppy hat.

 

"So, I am supposed to think it's just some kind of disguise then?"

 

"No, no..." Raven laughed, "You think I could hide this ass in any kind of pants, no... I used to dye it red all the time back home when I was in The Brotherhood, the red matched the armor and well...you'll find most of us assassins just happen to be very theatrical."

 

"Lovely, a bunch of murdering jesters." Faelyn crossed his arms unimpressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\--

 

    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last line was a reference to our dear old Cicero...


	15. She was a Bitch and He was a Princess.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven finally pushes too many of Faelyn's buttons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am enjoying this too much XD

 

 

# She was a Bitch and He was a Princess.

 

 

 

 

 

  
  
"Pass me a towel?" Raven moved her hand pointing to the folded fluffy towel beside the bath. Faelyn signed as he bent down grasping it in his hands. His mood was on the decline ever since he had returned back from the Hinterlands, everyone wanted something, whether it was finding someone's goat, killing demons or closing endless amounts of rifts it was his job, Faelyn looked forward to going a new place where no one knew who he was.

 

 

"Thanks." Raven caught the towel in hand and placed it on the side of the large bubbling bath, "You know Faelyn, I have been thinking..."

 

"Well this will be a first-" Faelyn moved back and leaned against the wall as she spoke, "But do, go on..."

 

"Don't be an ass." Raven curled her lip as she sat up slowly in the tub pulling up a bunch of bubbles, "People from my land, if they can't kill something themselves or if they need getting rid of someone they hire a skilled professional. Your Corypheus for instance, even if you get the sword and the star you'll need someone to use them..." Raven cocked her head with a grin.

 

"So you're saying I need to hire an assassin to kill Corypheus, shit...if only I thought of that...life could have been so much simpler." Faelyn spoke with sarcasm, "Lucky for me one is already in the room, how much does it cost to hire you for such a task, he is an ancient darkspawn after all?"

 

"Well, typically..." Raven mumbled rolling her head back with a long sway of blood red hair, "I was paid around twenty thousand gold pieces for a human noble in Cyrodill...and from what I gather he is some kind of sentient corrupted ghoul thing, so fifty thousand...but considering we know each other, formality's and all... A hundred thousand will do."

 

Faelyn coughed like something was stuck in his lungs, "A hundred thousand?! Bargain..." He laughed, would anyone ever be that stupid to pay that kind of money.

 

"Stop laughing and cough up the gold-rich bitch, you can afford it...you live in a fucking castle."

 

"That I don't own...it's Inquisition property, sweetheart."

 

"OHH, oh....you poor thing, poor little princess Faelyn Lavellan, stuck inside his castle on the highest floor waiting to be rescued from a fire-breathing dragon, AND BY THE WAY, THE FIRE BREATHING DRAGON IS CASSANDRA," Raven yelled at the top of her lungs pulling the towel around her as she stepped up from the bath drenched in water the poured from her body with a splash.

 

"Thank you, Raven, for considering that I could use rescuing for once, though I won't deny Cass being a dragon..." He shook his head watching Raven turn around looking for something.

 

"Where's Cole gone?"

 

"He left the minute you started yelling, he tends to do that..."

 

Raven clenched her jaw as she picked up her leathers and bundled them in her arms, missing the strange yet entraining young boy. "This isn't over Witbane, I want my money and you will pay up."

 

"Right... You'll have to kill Corypheus first, if you actually manage too, I'll consider fifty - no more...and how would you manage such a feat without the sword and star, please tell, enlighten me oh wise one."

 

"Lyrium." Raven moved forward, her feet not making a sound as she moved.

 

"Lyrium - how so?" He said almost curious to see an outsiders point of view.

 

"I read in one of your fancy books that raw lyrium is deadly to mages, he is a mage is he not? - So this is what I would do if I had the contract..." Raven moved closer with her red hair brushing over her face. "I would craft special arrows with raw lyrium heads, and shoot him right here." Her index finger pushed against Faelyn's heart.

 

"That's all good as well," Faelyn said smacking her hand away as he spoke, "Except raw lyrium is incredibly unstable and it most likely will explode and kill you in the process...such a shame." 

 

What did he just say, she thought...did that just come out of his mouth.

 

"FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN'T GROW FACIAL HAIR YOU SURE HAVE THE BALLS TO PISS ME OFF FAELYN LAVELLAN!!"

 

Raven had always been quick to anger, yet she found her self more annoyed than ever before in the presence of this elf. How could one person be so frustratingly annoying...maybe it wasn't him in the end, it could have been the two weeks of solitary in the dank cells beneath his castle that caused the sudden outrage.

 

"You have been reading about my people?" Faelyn said with a sweet voice as he placed a hand to his chest that turned quickly like sour milk, "GOOD THING YOU DYED YOUR RED, TO MATCH THAT FUCKING ATTITUDE!"

 

 

  
"Ahem..." A woman coughed behind Faelyn, "Excuse me, I wish a moment of your time."

 

"THIS BETTER BE IMPORTANT!" Faelyn turned to the woman with dark hair, his voice still at the top of his lungs that made the woman step back. "Bad time is it? - I only seek a few moments with the foreigner."

 

"Be my guest." Faelyn threw his hands in the air with a huff as he storms down the hallway.

 

"YEAH, GO RUN BACK TO YOUR FOREST!" Raven yelled as loud as she could back at Faelyn, "PALA MA" He yelled back not turning but lifting and facing his middle finger at her as he walked off behind his back.

 

Raven cocked her head confused looking over the woman's shoulder, "What did he just say?!" She mumbled to herself.

 

"I believe he said a rough translation of,  'Fuck you.' " The dark-haired woman smiled with her garnet lips. "I am Morrigan, it's a pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You have no idea how sus that sounds," Raven said opening her bedroom than slamming in shut now in fresh clean clothes.

 

"It is purely academical I assure you, if it wasn't for my son I would have dropped everything to come with you, I ask of one thing." Morrigan shrugged as they walked side by side down the stairs to the gardens. "And so you want what, one magical item from my land, for what use...too study the magic from my land?"

 

"Indeed, please I just want too-"

 

"Fuck it," Raven swore, "Sure whatever, but you don't need to wait...Though you'll owe me favor Lady Morrigan." Raven pulled at the leather straps of her pants to a small golden ring tied to her belt. One ring for one favor seemed like a decent deal, plus having a friend here in this new world, one who owed you a favor was a thing she couldn't live her without...just in case she needed a plan B.

 

"What is this, a ring?" Raven placed it firmly in Morrigan's hand as she turned it over investigating the strange object, "What does it do exactly?" 

 

"That ring there is enchanted to enhance one's marksmanship, though as you can tell, it is not needed." Raven bowed her head pulling her bow from her back and one arrow. "Go on put it on, find out for yourself."

 

Morrigan took the ring twice in hand and slipped it onto her finger feeling a strange sensation rush over skin and a shiver that sent a shock wave down her spine, "That felt, well it's hard to say," she tilted her head down at the golden band turning it on her finger as Raven pushed her bow into Morrigan's hands. "See that woman with the stupid hat."

 

"Mother Giselle?" Morrigan asked, not liking where this was heading.

 

"Shoot that stupid hat from her head, go on... You'll be doing her favor in the long run."

 

A dry chuckle came from Morrigan as she dropped the bow's aim, "I can not...no, it would unwise." Her eyes gazed at the Dwarven craftsmanship in her hands, studying all of its remarkable detail, "Is this also magic? I sense something while holding it."

 

"Yup, it sure is... It drains its victims of their vitality and magicka\mana, giving it to me...it's a quirky bow, though I absolutely love it. I have always been obsessed by Dwarven weapons." Raven took the bow back in her hand and pulled it up to her site as she kinked her neck with a smile. "Wanna see?"

 

"Uh, mhm...." Morrigan questioned it for a moment, it was definitely an ill idea, though curiosity got the best of her, "I do indeed." she stepped back passing the arrow to its owner.

 

 

Raven grasped the arrow and began to draw the bow,  pulling the string all the way back getting a good strike.

 

"Won't the Inquisitor be unpleased with this...or is that the point?" Morrigan asked.

 

"Dunno, but let's find out." Raven closed one eye and with a sudden lifting of the bow, she let go of the arrow as it flew through the air and hitting true to its mark, causing Chantry Mother's hat to fly off her head with a speeding precision strike.

 

Mother Giselle screamed as she clenched her bare head and the garden went into panic mode rushing back into the main hall. "Mhm, not the reaction I would guess." Raven shrugged.

 

"You realize you are the only one that carries a bow around here?"

 

"Shit," Raven swore.

 

 

 

 

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do tell me if I am being too dialog heavy... I do try to avoid, but sometimes It just happens... *Cassandra sign*
> 
> \--  
> Just putting it out there, I don't know if Raven would be considered bad being apart of the brotherhood, (Yes they kill people)  
> Though I personally think, (and this is my own opinion) that Skyrim's one was really f*cked up, big time...
> 
> Go back two hundred years to Oblivion... The Dark Brotherhood, murdered rapists..bandit lords...pirate captains...prisoners...skooma addicts...corrupt guards...  
> (Mainly people who deserved being killed, except that whole family that you kill...yeah that was pretty bad...)
> 
> But Skyrim... You kill helpless beggars\chiefs\young girls... (Half the people you kill seriously don't deserve it at all...and it's terrible) - I mean, even I feel bad XD
> 
> F*cking Astrid...
> 
>  
> 
> But I am going to take a guess that sanctuaries that follow the 5 tenets... are more like Oblivion's...
> 
>  


	16. Well, Shit.

# Well, Shit.

 

 

 

 

  
 "SHE DID WHAT?"

 

It was all he could say, Faelyn had no idea whether he should laugh or throttle that girl.

 

 

But today he wasn't in the mood for jokes nor games after this afternoon. "Bring her in front of the court, NOW." He yelled to the guards with a voice that held strength and raw power over the people. Faelyn walked back taking a seat on the Inquisitor's throne, how he loathed sitting above the people as if he was higher than them, although right now none of that mattered.

 

"Shit, don't shove me...I am moving, are the cuffs again necessary?!" Raven leather boots skidded on the cold stone as the two guards pushed her forward, her bow still in hand.

 

"Here she is...again, Herald."  Cullen signed nudging Raven closer to Faelyn.

 

"Herald..."  Raven snorted with a laugh, "Now that's new, your Heraldness."

"You will address the Inquisitor by his proper title." A guard yelled from behind pushing Raven with a heavy nudge onto her knees. "Hey watch the leather!" She hissed as her knees became one with the cold stone. "So what will it be Inquisitor, do I face the noose?- Are you going to make me your plaything, making me beg on my knees...force me to listen to your jokes?!"

 

 

Faelyn sat their quietly, his eyes closed and his fingers arched to his hurting brow. "Commander Cullen, take her bow."

 

"WHAT?!" She yelled, "Hey, no... Hands off! - All I did was shoot a hat of some old ladies head, it was funny...HA..HA... SEE?! NO ONE GOT HURT."

 

Cullen reached down on demand grabbing The Dwarven black bow of Fate from her arms, with a quick pull that was effortlessly against his warrior's strength.

 

"OH C'MON, NO...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Raven yelled covering her face with her shackled hands, peaking through her fingers, not wanting to watch what that evil man was going to do to her pride and joy.

 

"Snap it," Faelyn said bluntly to Cullen.

 

"WHAAAAAAAT?! NO, HOW DARE YOU SADISTIC LITTLE FUCK!" Raven yelled, how could he...he couldn't...it was an antique.

 

"Ah, Inquisitor... It's fairly...solid." Cullen struggled even with all his strength, firstly grabbing it at both ends, but it was no use. The second try Cullen moved the bow over his knee pushing down from the center...yet nothing happens except the loud laughter of Raven filling the court.

 

"FOR FUCK SAKE CULLEN, JUST BEND IT."

 

"Maker, I am trying Inquisitor! It's very well made..." Cullen almost hated himself for having to destroy it... it was, in the end, a beautifully crafted bow.

 

Cullen turned the bow around and this time placed it under his knee pulling up as the bow slowly started to bend with the pull.

 

"Oh...shit...OH, SHIT..." Raven covered her eyes as she sopped, it was horrific...murder on the innocent, it was an injustice. PLEASE STOP, I DO ANYTHING, JUST STOP... YOU CAN'T..."

 

Cullen stopped, he felt he was murdering someone's child in front of them. "Inquisitor is this really necessary?!"

 

"Did I say stop?!" Faelyn hissed on his giant chair with his legs crossed.

 

"No....no- NO!" Raven crawled towards Cullen and Faelyn on her bounded hands and knees, trying to claw at her bow in Cullen's grasp and tugged on the ends of his pants. "You are a decent Godly man Cullen, you can't do this to a girl that has nothing!" 

 

Sweat dripped from Cullen's forehead and stroked his hair back from his face, this was too much, even for him. "You are really going to listen to that, Commander?" Faelyn cocked his head with a curled lip. "I...Er..." Cullen looked to the Inquisitor than back down to the now red-haired elven girl clawing away at his pants, who uncomfortably looked his long-lost Surana from the tower in Kinloch Hold.

 

 

"Please, Faelyn..." Raven said quietly, she had almost given up all hope...if it was snapped, everything would be ruined and beyond fixable because of its enchantment.

 

"You can get another, it's just a bow." Faelyn rolled his eyes as he clenched his jaw, still mad and full of rage...maybe he was being too harsh, maybe he was taking a whole year of bottled up rage out on her, it didn't feel good...yet he couldn't have her being disrespectful to his people in a place they were promised safety...especially after Haven, it was still raw in a lot of peoples minds.

 

"I can't...it was made by the Dwemer and well, they are all gone...they were elves just like us, and that bow is one is the only one of it's kind or ever will be... So go ahead, destroy it."  Raven said bitterly, her voice as soft as darkness and as cold as ice.

 

'Just like us.' was the only thing that caught his mind, it was what he always wanted Solas to say...to finally admit they were they of the same people, even Sera denied it...So why was this outsider, a completely different kind of elf say they were of the same people, it was so far from the truth...But he found himself hard to deny it, he couldn't talk like Solas, it had crushed him when his best friend had said it to him.

 

"Give it back to her." Faelyn couldn't believe he said it, the words felt sour milk in his mouth.

 

Cullen smiled as he bent down and handed the girl the bow, "Sorry about the..." Raven snatched it from his hands before he could finish his sentence. The bow was obviously bent but it was nothing a well-experienced smith couldn't fix, lucky Skyrim was full of them.

 

The bow felt so good in her hands, it was her one of a lifetime finds...and of the only things she had rightfully owned without the need of stolen blood money nor thief, it was purely hers from her hard work and determination.

 

"Thank you." Raven grinned at Cullen with a smile, though she wasn't going to thank Faelyn anytime soon. 

 

 

Faelyn stood slowly from his seat, he was truly fed up with everything and all life had to throw at him. "You two pack your shit, we're leaving."

 

"Now?" Cullen asked confused, surely they start in the morning...it was almost night-time...

 

 

 

 

 

"Yes, now - I expect you two and Solas at the eluvian in thirty minutes...we're heading to Skyrim."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY!!!!!!!
> 
> TIME TO GOOOOOOO... *Bags are packs...got my black scarfs ready...* 
> 
> This is going to be wild...
> 
> And somehow I just can't stop picturing Solas running around Skyrim singing "What's this?!" from The Nightmare before Christmas...
> 
> What's this? What's this?  
> There's colour everywhere, the graphics are even better though we were ahead by a third year.  
> What's this?  
> There's white things in the air  
> What's this?  
> I can't believe my eyes  
> I must be dreaming  
> Wake up, Solas, this isn't fair...Oh no the fade isn't here...  
> What's this?  
> What's this? What's this?  
> There's something very wrong  
> What's this?  
> There are people singing songs, men that look like men and women who look like...men...  
> What's this?  
> The streets are lined with  
> Little furry creatures laughing  
> Everybody seems so happy  
> Have I possibly gone daffy?  
> What is this? What is this?
> 
> \--
> 
> Chapters from this point on will be at least as twice as large now that we are heading to Skyrim next n_n


	17. Journey to the Centre of...Skyrim?

 

 

# Journey to the Centre of...Skyrim?

 

 

 

 

  
 

 "So are you feeling nervous?" Cullen asked Raven as they stood awkwardly waiting next to each other outside the eluvian.

 

"About going back to my homeland or traveling through your...portal mirror thing?" Raven cocked her head towards the obviously nervous Cullen.

 

"I...Er...both I suppose..."  His voice shook rich with anxiety. Cullen already hated this eluvian Lady Morrigan had brought with her, he never dreamed of going through it. What would it be like, would it sting or tingle, would it's magic effect him possibly this new land.

 

"No, not really. Everyone uses teleportation magic in Morrowind, it's the quickest way to get around, though not many people use it in other provinces. The Wayshrine I traveled here it was odd though, I suppose you'll find out soon."

 

"Ah," Cullen tugged on the end of his collar.

 

 

"Are you two ready?" Faelyn asked as he walked side by side with Solas, both dressed in traveling gear and staves strapped to their backs

 

Raven found it hard to look at Faelyn after what he did to her bow, but by The Eight he looked stupid... "You realize we are going to a new land right..." She said looking him down and up, staring at the vivid colored robes and leather bindings. "Yes, I am quite aware."

 

"So, you can't wear whatever that...is... You look like a college student who drinks skooma all day."  

 

"Raven, I am a mage, I honestly don't care if your people think I go to a mage college in your land...anyway my robes are Dalish."

 

Ugh.

 

She didn't bother arguing with him if wanted to be the only Dalish elf in Tamriel than so be it. Raven turned to the eluvian pressing her hand against the glass that turned from transparent to shimmery blue skin of water.  She took a deep breath and sept through the magical barrier, once again into the unknown.

 

The crossroads laid ahead of her eyes as the others slowly joined up behind her, Cullen being the last stumbled into her tripping over his own feet, "Maker, sorry..." he mumbled retaking his footing. It was so grey and bleak, her feet moved and yet her mind stood still looking at every archway and mirror she passed in the never-ending hall of possibilities, how many of these mirrors worked and how many took you to Thedas or Tamriel...or even other distant lands, where they all connected, linked by magic?

 

"This is it, the one I came through." Raven walked over to the empty archway, it appeared to be empty, just a broken arch, maybe it was just illusion keep out the unwanted. A scarf was tied to the stone, one she had left when she first entered, a good thief always had an exit to plan, though she had no idea ever that her journey would take her to a whole new land.

 

"This archway will take us to Skyrim?" Faelyn asked doubting it very much so, it just looked like a blank, empty archway, there was nothing special about it at all. Solas moved forward expecting the stonework and tracing his fingers over the groves and scanning for hidden magic. "Runic is written here, but it is aged and I fear I can not translate it," Solas said quietly while studying the forgotten marks.

 

Raven couldn't read runes, not even if her life depended on it, so she didn't even try, it was probably some kind of ancient elven hog-wash saying, 'Beware - enter if you dare - you're not welcome.'  It was always the same predictable elven mage-y shit. With a swift pull from around her neck Raven grasped a compass in her clutches, she did not travel with it yet she feared she would need on this journey, she had been to Skyrim before, though most of it was unfamiliar to a tee.

 

"There's an eluvian on the other side, do you know this for certain, what happens if there is not one?" Cullen asked his courage was finally starting to crack open and his fear of magic was beginning to show. "No, I am not sure, I have never read about one being there, though our best chances are for an old forgotten one, maybe one that has been long out of use - it's either that or use the one in Blacklight, that I came through - However it will take at least a month to travel from Morrowind to Skyrim. For what will happen, if there is none, I am not exactly sure, though we could very well likely be splinched."

 

"I don't like the sound of that."  Cullen swallowed in his throat, it sounded painful and extremely unpleasant. "Well, there's one way to find out." Raven cracked her neck with a tilt of her head and pressed her hand against the empty arch, "SKYRIM." She said loudly and the archway began to hum slightly like a nirnroot waiting to be plucked, at least that was a good sign... Raven took a deep breath and counted back from five in her head, nothing could be worse than being with this lot.

 

 

Five

 

Four

 

Three

 

Two

 

One

 

.......

 

 

Raven closed and stepped forward into the light and leaving her safety behind for the biting jaws of her own land. A beam of light burned even through her closed eyes as a shimmer of magic engulfed her skin, it glimmering like starlight and felt as warm as spiced honey mead in her stomach. It was home... Tamriel... The place she belonged yet pushed away and set aside because her own skin was in danger like the craven she was.

 

Feet shuffled forward with a loud crackle of the earth moving beneath her feet, the roof of the Wayshrine appeared to grow before, lifting high above her head and into the air as Cullen quickly joined her at the hip, him too covering his eyes from the blinding light of Nirn's raw power. "This is your land?...it looks so - normal." Cullen gasped at his surroundings, he was expecting it to look well...more Fade like, just anything that wasn't this. His throat felt swollen as he breathed in the air that felt as fresh as Thedas' were all these worlds habitable for human and other kinds - did The Maker creator make this land too or were the elves right, was there more than one God...

 

Solas and Faelyn joined slowly side by side, their skin tingled with a sting that felt like being stung by bees from head to toe, yet Solas began to feel it worse, more like being flayed alive and covered in salt. He closed his eyes, unaware of what was happening, he groaned with a murmur as he bit down on his lip with so much pain it began to gush with blood and it suddenly stopped as soon as it started.

 

A hand clenched the inner wall of the Wayshrine, that was too much for his mind to handle all at once, his brain stung from the inside out and his mouth was full of the taste of rusted iron. "What was that? - Solas did you feel that?!" Faelyn panted like a mabari left out in the sun. "Yes, unfortunately - that was extremely unpleasant." Solas breathed in yet his lungs felt weak, maybe also old even for him...

 

"I didn't feel anything." Cullen shrugged unaware of what they were speaking of, he felt fantastic, maybe even more than normal.

 

"Solas..." Faelyn blinked twice, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, was it true...was his mind playing tricks on him, could it be an illusion..."Yes?" Solas gasped as he wiped his mouth with a single squire of cotton fabric from his pocket.

 

"The anchor, it's gone." 

 

'No, that is impossible' Solas thought, everything he has studied said it was not permitted, what had been done was done, nothing could remove the mark the orb it had placed.

 

"SOLAS THE FUCKING ANCHOR IS GONE," Faelyn yelled, a hundred things rushed through his mind... What had happened, why was it gone, it was permit...everyone said so, even Corypheus - was he wrong too like everyone else, was this strange land somehow curing him of this infliction, was that what he felt when it came through the archway or were the Gods angry he had left his world, did they forsake him and cast him away in hopes of a new purer savior.  

 

Solas grasped his hand, looking for the mark even just a glimmer of the emerald anchor, yet none remained...not even a scar survived. "This is impossible, I - I can not comprehend how this happened-"

 

 

Raven turned, she knew - it was an easy answer. "The Fade, you are no longer connected to The Fade."

 

 

 

Faelyn collapsed to the ground, his legs felt like jelly...was it true - was he no longer connected to the land of dreams? His mind bent at the possibilities and although he didn't doubt Raven's words it was the only explanation he could justify, he was no longer the Herald of Andraste...or a mage.

 

"Inquisitor - look at me." Cullen grasped Faelyn's chin tilted his head into his site checking his eyes and pupils for dilation. "What do you feel, CAN you feel?" It was the only thing Cullen wanted to ask once he realized Faelyn was disconnected with The Fade, from all his templar training the only way that was possible was being made tranquil, but Faelyn nor Solas were showing any of the signs of tranquility, how was that even conceivable.

 

"I am not tranquil Cullen, I am just...just..." Faelyn looked away, it was true he never desired to be a mage, but what was he supposed to do now, it was the only thing he was good at, how was he supposed to have chance now, a year it took for him to train to get where he was today, he couldn't start all over again here of all places.

 

Solas clenched Faelyn's shoulder with a squeeze, "It could be worse, you could be human." Solas smiled, trying to cheer his friend with little use he could. "I suppose," Faelyn smiled with a glimmer. "Though you and I are totally fucked now."

 

"Yes, I suppose we are." Solas' dry chuckled though he felt torn inside out, ripped from his reality and cast from the only thing he felt comfortable with, The Fade - and there was no going back now, they would just have to cope with what skills they had outside of magic.

 

 

"Ah, yes...you two are more fucking useless than normal, great...though we have a worse problem." Raven sign at the two elves comforting each other like lovers. "What is it?" Cullen moved forward, he didn't have to ask he heard it...the awful spinning of wood, the compass was going wild spinning in circles like he had never seen. "Is..is that normal for here?!" He almost yelled, his fear of coming back to him again. 

 

"No, unfortunately not, and to make things worse...I have never seen those plants over there ever before..." Raven clenched her jaw facing the poisonous blooms. "So what, are we even in Skyrim or are we just lost?"  Faelyn asked.

 

"No, we are defiantly in Tamriel...that's for sure, there's just a lot of magic around here somewhere and it's interfering with the compass...maybe it's the Wayshrine," Raven shrugged unaware of how close she was to the find of a lifetime that lingered within an ice castle above and beyond the mountains. 

 

"Lets, just head that way." Raven pointed to the clearing of trees and an old stone path that laid ahead.

 

 

 

 

Two hours past than three as they climbed the rugged mountain path that twisted and turned, till they could finally see the bare uniform land ahead, it was Skyrim and all its beauty, wondrous and large, full of danger but spectacular all in the same way.

 

"Maker, It's breathtaking." Cullen grasped, he hadn't hiked like that in many moons but the view of the unknown land filled his heart will love for adventure. "So, where to next...I mean, is there destination right now - or?"

 

Raven pursed her lips as Solas came to her side, his staff in his hand used for a walking stick to help with the climb on his older legs. "I think camp would be best for now." Raven gestured to a clear spot ahead, she could have walked for another few hours or through the night if she had too, though she doubted Solas had much left in him after being torn from the Fade. "Thank you," He bowed his head with a smiled as he wondered ahead to the spot she pointed too.

 

"I knew you could be nice," said the familiar voice of Faelyn behind her. She still wasn't talking to him after the damage he had caused to her bow. "I am not nice, I just know when not be stupid, Witbane - your friend is of no use if he dies of exhaustion."

 

Cullen began to walk off to start camp with Solas.

 

Faelyn watched Cullen walk away as he moved beside the fiery red-headed elf. "If it makes you feel any better, I am sorry about the bow, I shouldn't have got so mad... I took my anger out on you, I will admit - yet you did push me, Raven."

 

"I shot a hat off a ladies head! Morrigan even agreed for me to do it, it was practically peer pressure!" Raven hissed towards the stupid looking elf.

 

"Morrigan is an even worse role model than you and she's crafty, you should stay away from her."

 

"I like her," Raven folded her arms watching Cullen and Solas putting up tents, "She's forthright, she say's things how they are, she doesn't sugarcoat...I respect that." 

 

"You - respect someone?" that was odd coming from her.

 

"Too a standard, not to yours, nor most...but somewhat to my own - which really doesn't mean much to be honest." Raven huffed with a half smile.

 

Faelyn shook his head as he too watched on from a distance as the sun was barely setting, the time was clearly different in this world. "I can trust you, right? - I know it's too much of me to ask for you to trust me, but-"

 

"No," Raven butted in, "I don't trust anyone, not you - not anyone...and you most defiantly can't trust me, especially now you promise to me is voided, you can't offer me protection if you are useless."

 

He clenched his jaw, as much as she was being a bitch, his promise was defiantly now screwed over, "So should I expect you gone in the morning?"

 

 

"No, only if you give me a reason too." Raven walked off to join Cullen, leaving Faelyn behind.

 

 

 

 

As the sun finally drifted away against the mountains Raven stood alone in the dark waiting, waiting in the empty silence she closed her eyes, for when they opened the two moons shone down upon her just they did in her dream. Raven never realized how much she would miss the little things, the moons, animals, nirnroots the interesting creatures of Tamriel, yet if she decided to live in Thedas all of this would be left behind for good... It was either that or having to watch her own back till her bones turn to dust.

 

After a while, the thought was too hard to bear, she was indeed a coward running like an elk from a hunter, something she thought she would never stoop too.

 

 

 

**It was well and truly time to end it, once and for good.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 


	18. Sweet mother, Sweet mother.

# Sweet mother, Sweet mother.

 

 

 

  
 

  
"Inquisitor!" Cullen yelled as he slammed his sword down at the beast trying to dig into Faelyn's tent, "Shit, what the fuck is that?!"  He moved his hands in front of his body as he jolted from his restless sleep, yet no magic nor anything came from his actions as the beast lunged at him with a spring of its back legs.  Cullen moved swiftly sword striking true as he sliced it clean through it's back with a squirt of scarlet blood.

 

"What is that?!" Faelyn asked again, ever thankful that Cullen was here watching over him. "I am not sure, I have never seen anything like...that..." Cullen prodded it with the end of his blade flicking it over onto it's back as Faelyn arched his knees beside it. "If a weasel fucked a rat...this is what it would look like." He poked the skeever with a stick.

 

"Maybe it's a rat...dog...Maker, I have no clue." Cullen was put off by the site of its large pointed teeth, large rats he was used to seeing in the shady parts of Kirkwall at night, but this was something else entirely.

 

"We heard tales of large wild rats from the hahren's back in the Clan's, but I don't remember them saying anything like this or the fact they try to attack you." Faelyn paused, this world was strange to them, maybe Raven would know what it is or if there was more around, they could prove troublesome later. "Raven - are you awake?" He called facing her tent, though no one answered - however that wasn't exactly new by any standards.

 

"What's that?" A yawning Solas asked with his nose scrunched up, that took Faelyn's attention. "I don't know, I was hoping to find out, did you sleep well?"

 

"No." Solas said bluntly, "I didn't dream, maybe the inhabitants of this land do not dream without The Fade."

 

"I had a dream," Cullen shrugged, not understanding why dreams were considered largely in important.

 

Solas mumbled while Faelyn went back to Raven's tent to wake her lazy ass up, "Raven, wake up...seriously? - wait." It only just hit him, like a slap in the face...she wouldn't sleep here, there was no way she would. His fingers pulled her tent open, his heart racing through his chest.

 

 

 

Empty.

 

Except for a leather coat and a book.

 

 

 

 

"Which one of you was the last to see Raven, she's gone?!" Faelyn's temper was raging again, wherein the void did she go and how long ago did she bail on them.

 

"She's gone?" Solas tilted his head with a narrowing of his eyes, "I saw her last night when she borrowed a book off of me."

 

"What's wrong?" Faelyn's head turned to Cullen who was obviously distracted by something because he kept feeling through his pockets and patting down his pants. "My dagger, it's missing..."

 

"Search out and look for tracks." Faelyn scoffed loud, this girl was going to be the end of him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The breeze bit down to the bone as Faelyn walked searching for tracks or any kind of sign alone, but nothing was left behind but a few boot prints here and there. His arms bundled together as he rubbed his upper arms, it was almost as cold as Haven and it wasn't even snowing here.

 

"Raven," He muttered to himself hopelessly looking for this annoying girl, she could of at least left a note to say she was gone so he didn't have to worry about a giant rat-thing taking her off into the night. He signed loud kicking a rock with his leather-bindings on his feet when he heard the sound of something making a loud dragging sound.

 

There she was, on the shoreline amongst the black stone and sand as the water crashed against the rocks. Raven was on her knees, absolutely filthy and covered in dirt and blood. A black scarf was wrapped around her mouth and neck as she knelt over...what was that...

 

 

Is that a body...

 

 

"Raven...?" Faelyn approached from her side, her hair was long and loose draped over her face covering her eyes.

 

 

"- What are you doing here?!" Raven stood annoyed with anger in her tone pulling scarf down from her mouth.

 

 

"-I was looking for you because you decided to run off in the middle of the night!"

 

 

"I DIDN'T RUN ANYWHERE," Raven yelled, she was a grown woman, not a child...

 

 

"Well if you don't tell anyone leaves a fucking note!"

 

 

"Just leave!" She pushed him her hands to his chest back a few paces, "You're not wanted here, go...leave me be!"

 

Raven turned to the body on the shoreline, she wasn't going to leave and neither was he.

 

"You killed that person didn't you, why?!"

 

 

 

Was that really all he was considered about, that she was some brutal killer, killing anyone who crossed her path. "He was a bandit, it doesn't matter who he was..." She said quietly with a sharp tongue, "Go, now... You don't want to watch."

  

Faelyn stood still, she was up to something and it was suspicious. "I will watch until you tell me what you are doing with that bandit's corpse." 

 

She didn't answer, Raven simply pulled Cullen's iron dagger from her belt stabbing the fresh corpse through the sternum with a sickening crack of breaking a bone on the impact of the blade. Faelyn stepped back watching Raven push all her weight onto the blade as she hacked away at the man's torso, blood leaking everywhere.

 

"Is that really necessary?!" he scrunched his nose up as Raven dropped the dagger for using her hand, rolling up her sleeves and diving into the chest cavity and pulling out a large bloody chunk of meat that made him feel like gagging. "REALLY?!"

 

Raven stood covered in more blood than before that man's heart in her hands up to her elbows, "I told you not to watch, and yet you did...it's your fault for being so sensitive."

 

"-I am not sensitive."

 

The heart dropped from her hand to the side of the body with a shake of her head. A bag was drawn close and opened with a flick of its lid as she pulled multiple beeswax candles into her grasp laying them out around the corpse as she lit them one by one with a simple flick of her wrist and a fire spell.

 

"I see your magic is working as fine as always." Faelyn huffed almost jealous by her magicka.

 

"I am not going to tell you again, you need to leave." Raven clenched her jaw, it was too dangerous for him to be here next to her, he had no skills and no experience with this land, he couldn't be here right now.

 

"No, I am not- "

 

"Listen to me, GO - NOW, you wanted to trust me, right?- This is how...trust me, with this." Raven turned to grab the petals of nightshade that was gathered not far away, nightshade always grew in the colder northern parts of Skyrim.

 

"Trust, that's a lot coming from you at the moment! - I am not stupid, you doing another one of those ritual things...but what is this one for?"

 

Raven wiped Cullen's dagger clean on the bandit's shirt, she never pictured herself doing this. "It's a Black Sacrament ritual, it will let me speak directly to the Nightmother, in order for me to make contact with the Dragonborn."

 

"You said the Nightmother wanted you dead, now you want to make connect with her?!" Faelyn couldn't figure out this girl, she changes her mind more than her clothes. Why would she want to make connect with some woman who wanted her dead and a cult that wanted her dead?

 

"How will know they'll even come?!" He continued to yell.

 

"Because I didn't tell you everything Faelyn... Remember when I told you I killed the Listener in Valenwood?"

 

"Yes, I remember." He crossed his arms, honestly not caring that she killed some cult murdering psychopath.

 

"It wasn't till after he was dead did I see his face, he was indeed my Listener, the only one..." Faelyn moved like he was about to speak but Raven stopped him with a gesture of her hand, "Let me finish," She rolled her eyes, "The Dark Brotherhood is very private, when we're not working we can hardly recognize little alone know where they live... Within the Dark Brotherhood, there are ranks, the Listener being been the top dog and low-grade assassins Speakers find on the streets. Within the Brotherhood though is a higher up group around the Speakers, there's four in total all around Tamriel - Only One and a Listener, making up the ruling body of the Brotherhood called the Black Hand."

 

"- You killed the only one?." Faelyn felt his palm great his face with a loud sign.

 

"Yeah," Raven paused, "I was a Silencer myself, we are personal assassins to the members of the Black Hand. It was...an interesting role, we are granted special privileges within the guild\The Family. - Silencers are above the laws of the Dark Brotherhood, we do what exactly what our Speaker tells us, whatever they want..." Raven swallowed thickly in her throat with her eyes closed as she held the bunch of nightshade in her hands.

 

"You have to leave Faeyln, go back to camp... I must face the new Listener, it's the only way..."

 

Raven grabbed a single sheet of parchment that was folded in her hands, as she tilted it towards the burning flame, "A name, for the contact...bound in blood." She whispered through her teeth.

 

"Raven who's name is on that piece of paper?" Faeyln frowned, "Who are you marking to be killed?!"

 

Faelyn's hand lunged forward grasping the piece of folded paper, "I swear to the Creators if that's my name...."  His fingers shook with a tremble as his opened old faded parchment staring at the letters before him.

 

 

 

 

 

_'Raven.'_

 

 

 

She had marked herself for slaughter.

 

 

 

 

"- Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear." She whispered with a hum as the iron dagger pierced the heart before him.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love the Dark Brotherhood and it's crazy lore...  
> R.I.P Lucien, you were the best Speaker of them all... D':  
> \--
> 
> If you ever think Raven is over-powered, she ain't. Though she is stronger than the Inquisitor cause she has had over twenty years of training experience. (Even though she is thirty that is young for an elf considering they live three times longer than human races, so she would mature a lot slower...) 
> 
> ANYWAYS.  
> Dovahkiin is appearing soon, as you can tell... Does anyone want see a particular race?


	19. You gotta be Dovahkiitten' me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was 4 race options suggested, 1 was randomly picked...The pun in the title says the rest. 
> 
>  
> 
> **(In this chapter I do not condone punching someone in the face to knock them out when convenient, it is dangerous and you will kill someone, that is unless you are Batman)**

 

 

# You gotta be Dovahkiitten' me.

 

 

 

 

 

 It was done and there was no going back, a call was made and a name is written and bond in blood, a contract now set in motion, it was only time now she had to wait, and for one elf to be rid off. He was going to leave, she could see it in his stubborn emerald eyes. So used to being charged and having authority over his command that stepping aside would be no hope. There were to options she could choice yet both ended in the same result.

 

"Faeyln, it is last chance to go..." Raven stood tall and somber, dusting off her knees from the tiny black grains of sand that stuck to her leather trousers like paint to a wall. "No, we can do this together, if we just-" he responded, though it was further from what she was hoping, he was choosing wrong, it was the hard way he wanted it. "I am sorry," Raven turned to her side as closed her eyes clenching her fist and her fingers locking hard together as she swags a clean hit to the unaware Inquisitor, taking the full of the force of the blow to his head as she grasped him from the break of the fall.

 

"Witbane, you stupid elf." Raven shook her head as she laid him down gently against the sand, he almost looked peaceful unconscious, "You should have listened to me, I did this for your own good." His hands were gathered together as she placed them across his chest, at least he was still in one piece for Cassandra.

 

Her feet collapsed under her weight as she sat beside him, looking at the clouded blue sky as the sounds of crashing waves broke over the rocks. Seagulls squawked and flapped their white feathered wings from above as Raven slipped her bow from her back and laid out four arrows in front of her folded legs. A glimmer of a crystal sparkled in her eyes as it the caught the sun shining through the thinning of the clouds. Her hands moved grasping it in her clutches as she pulled the leather strap over Faelyn's resting head, it was almost like a soulgem, yet different from anything she had ever seen, was it the one linked to Dorian's...

 

Raven tapped the smooth surface of the stone twice with the tip of her finger and the edge of her nail, in hopes over activating its magic, would it still work here of all places no longer connected to the power of the fade. "Dorian?" Raven asked doubting it would work, feeling stupid for even trying.

 

The crystal vibrated in her hand tingling her fingers, something was defiantly happening... "Dorian, can you hear me?" It vibrated again moving on her palm laid flat, a mumble came from the stone but she couldn't understand what it said. "Hello?" Finally, something came from it that was a mumbled jumble, "Faeyln, Inquisitor?!" 

 

"No, it's me Dorian, Raven." She shrugged to the violet crystal in her hand, she never thought there would be a day she would be talking to rocks and they reply back. "Oh, it's you - where's the Inquisitor?"

 

"-Taking a nap, you know how he is... Sleeping on the job."

Raven looked down at the unconscious Inquisitor.

 

"Asleep at this time of day? - that does seem highly irregular."

 

Raven paused looking up at the sun through the clouds, "It's night, time is different."  

 

"Ah, interesting... So, what's the meaning of this? -please don't tell me you're doing this cause you're bored."

 

"Kinda."

Raven hopelessly again turning her gaze to Faeyln.

 

"Just wonderful, so--"

Dorian paused as the between them fell into silence.

 

"-What was your...Inquisitor like before the job?" Raven asked curiously.

 

Dorian clicked his tongue as she heard of the sound of a chair creaking on the other side.

"Honestly, I have no idea - by the time we met the Inquisition was already up and running. Did you know we first met in a Chantry of all places? - How romantic." Dorian laughed with delight on the other end that made Raven shake her head with a smile.

 

"Romantic wouldn't be my first describing word of your Inquisitor, though I do find his company more enjoyable when he is sleeping."

 

"I didn't mean it like that..."  Raven could almost see Dorian's smugness from here, "I do find it interesting that you just so happen to watch our sleeping Lavellan, we aren't up to something naughty are we, mhm?"

 

Raven moved the crystal closer to her chest as she spoke.

"Oh yes, oh yes indeed... We had a- what would you call it? -'Romantic'- evening on the shores of Tamriel, under the twin moons we confessed our undying love, hearts where torn, bones broken and blood spilled."

 

"I see..."

 

The crystal drifted away from her body as an unknown shiver sent shockwaves down her spine making her stomach twitch, her eyes glimmered to the horizon than to the sky, as the wind began to pick up with a rustling howl.

 

"Raven?" Dorian muttered as Raven ignored his call, her legs lengthen out as she grabbed her idle bow in her hand, "Raven, are you there, what's the matter?"

 

The wind grew more fierce with a howling blow picking up with the sand like the ash storms from Vvardenfell, "Shit." she groaned as she pulled up her scarf that draped around her neck once more to cover her mouth as she shielded her eyes from the scorching, blistering blast.

 

"What's happening, I hear...is that wind?" Dorian asked as all he could hear was the blowing gale force winds.

 

"Mh mhm." She mumbled through her scarf as she narrowed her eyes from the sharp bite of the sand hitting her skin, "This-a-really-bad-time-Dorian..." Raven dropped the crystal as the light the glimmered with life slowly ceasing to a dull black. A roar filled her heightened elven hearing and crashing sound of wings came from above like thunder as it shook Nirn under her feet. An arrow tightened in her hand as she pulled it to her bow and arched her elbows facing the large scale beast that plagued the heavens above. "Oh, crap...I am going to need a bigger bow." She swallowed dryly in her throat at the large horned scaled beast, it was a dragon and twice the size of any she'd ever seen...

 

Her bow moved, aiming high as her muscles strained in her arms as Raven pulled her bowstring as far back as possible as she took a deep breath aiming true and letting go of the single arrow from between the pull of her fingers. "Shit...." Raven swore loud and gruff, the damage to her bow had offed her aim and angled her shot as the arrow flew through the air piercing the thick hide of its webbed wings as the dragon roared with a bellow with its split wing.

 

"Oh, no...that's not good," Raven lowed the bow running back fast on her feet as the dragon turned in the sky on its side  losing its momentum crashing into the sand with a thick wave of salt, stones, and rubble blasting through the air as the ground crunched under its massive weight that shook under her feet like an earthquake.

 

A thick layer of sand cemented itself within her hair and blinded her site as she brushed herself down at the roaring yet stilled beast before her. Her eyes could finally see as her large Bosmer eyes fluttered out the sand that stung like nightshade in a fresh wound. A being jumped from the dragon's back, dressed from head to toe in ebony black with their faced masked, two medium length ebony swords were pulled from their back with a crossed swing of their grasp, turning them twice in hand.  

 

"YOU SHOT MY DRAGON." The voice yelled rich with an eclectic accent, much like her own.

 

Double shit, it was pet, wasn't it...

 

"I...am sorr-"

 

 

 

"FUS RO DAH."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dovahkiin, is a lawfully evil she-cat. because mortally 'good' characters tend to be lame... XD  
> Though the Inquisitor is classed as good... 
> 
>  
> 
> \- Elder Scrolls Facts of Day - 
> 
> There are many different theories of the Amulet of Kings origin, the most commonly believed being that it is a crystallised drop of Lorkhan's blood - (Lorkhan is most directly responsible for the existence of Nirn) - following his defeat at the hands of Akatosh and Trinimac (champion of Auri-El\Akatosh himself) Others believe that Akatosh formed the gem from his blood and gave it to Saint Alessia as a token of his willingness to keep mortals safe from the wrath of Daedric Princes. Other theories report that the amulet is, in fact, a Soulgem of Ayleid origin.
> 
> A SOULGEM. *dies*
> 
> Lorkhan created the gods, but who created Lorkhan? - The Dark Brotherhood believe it was in fact Sithis that created Lorkhan...
> 
> Making Sithis the god of gods...aka The Maker.
> 
> Raven's theories aren't all bonkers XD


	20. When I said I wanted to Spoon, I didn't mean this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven gets spooned and she doesn't like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My titles just get worse and worse XD

# When I said I wanted to Spoon, I didn't mean this.

 

 

 

 

  
   
It felt like being hit by an out of control carriage or being thrown from one at high speed, Raven's body flung through the air like a rag doll hitting the ground along the way like a pebble skipping over water. The force of air was like nothing she had ever felt as if she was blown through the air like she was nothing but a feather sweeping through the wind.

 

Bones felt bruised and broken as she crushed into a sandbank that neither comforted her fall or soften her landing, a blanket of sand toppled over her body with a heavy impact as she groaned in pain from her lower back and hips.

 "I-am-too-old-for-this-" Raven grunted as she clawed away at the sand that crushed her from its weight piled up. Dovahkiin edged nearer, quick on their feet and a spring in there step moved room once side of shore to the next in a blink of an eye.

 

Raven tried to move but her legs were limp and sore, bruised and battered she laid there amongst the sand looking up at the Godlike dragon warrior. Boots crunched through sand, one boot at a time closer and closer till they stood before her placing one boot on her chest, pushing Raven deeper into the sand with a weighty push. She tried to speak but only a bloody cough came to her throat as the pressure on her chest intensified.

 

"Sorry.....about...the..." breaths of air were hard to grasp and even more difficult to hold. 

 

Dovahkiin remind silent, watching and waiting, taking everything into detail about the situation before responding in a bitter, sour tone of a growl, "You called, I came." 

 

"Yeah," Raven coughed sand, their boot still firmly pinning her down. "I can...see that."

 

Her back arched with a twinge of her already aching muscles, a hand came to loose from the buried sand as she used the last ounce of her strength to grab the Dragonborn's foot with a twist and a pull forcing them off with a sudden turn. Raven rolled to her side, clawing at the rough grains of sand, pulling herself up on to her knees as she lunged at the being in the black.

 

"I don't want to fight you!" Raven hissed through her teeth as she pushed her weight onto them. She had no idea what to do, she didn't want to kill another Listener but nor did she wish to die.

"I wasn't fighting, I was saying hello." They replied.

   
A hand moved to the figures thigh pulling something small yet sharp to the point, without a second glance nor even a breath of air, a burning feeling overpowered Raven's upper right hip. It burnt razor sharp as she let out a half scream, it like being shot by an arrow, it was stuck in deep as she felt a cooling sensation trickle down her hip. Fingers drifted low searching for the source of pain as she looked at her fingers now covered thickly in ruby blood.

 

"You stabbed me!" She yelled in pain but yelling made it hurt worse.

 

"So I did," The figure moved back pulling their hood down from their head and their mask that slowly revealed their two ears and feline ember eyes... "You're....a Khajiit?!"

 

A Khajiit - Raven always thought Dovahkiin was a Nord native to Skyrim or an Imperial, not a Khajiit - A female one...

 

Raven watch the Khajiit sheath her two twin blades behind her back as a long flow of black dreadlocks covered her shoulders and swayed in the wind, beads glimmered and feathers and golden rings spun in her hair against the bright afternoon sun that poured through the clouds.

 

Her thigh ached and her legs throbbed, the object she had been stabbed with was still implanted deep within her flesh..."Oh, my gods, what is that? - is that a fork?!" Raven hissed as her fingers clenched the object trying to pull it out but with every tug, it stung worse and more blood leaked from the wound drenching the ground beneath her.

 

Dovahkiin chuckled with points of her sharp teeth smiling through her wide grin and long white whiskers, "-You catch on fast pretty one, but ah - it is a spoon, Ysgramor's soup spoon."

 

Raven laid her head back in the sand watching the dragon on the sore in the distance, her nerves set shivers of pain through her body and yet her adrenaline still kept most still at bay. "I can't believe you stabbed me with a spoon! ...fork...Ysgramor's?!"

 

"I could not kill you, it would displease our Dread Father - but consider it punishment for shooting my noble beast." 

 

Raven laughed with painful cackle she soon regretted, "Like Sithis gives a fuck."

 

"Do you want to be stabbed again? - it can be arranged." The Khajiit spoke bluntly that instantly made Raven shut her mouth, "Ra'vani, you may call me."

 

"Wouldn't you rather go by your more colorful title?" Raven bit her lips as she sat up hunched over, slowly gathering her scarf from around her neck and tying it around the oozing wound.

 

"Which one?" She smiled with a brazen toothy grin, "No, we are sisters in our Fathers eyes, you may call me by my true name." Ra'vani paused flicking her dreads from her shoulders to her back as she crouched her knees to look Raven in the eyes. "Our Father does not wish you dead - no, but he is willing to accept payment for what was taken."

 

Her eyes blinked confused by what she was hearing, maybe it was the blood loss going to head. "Did you just say payment?- I have no money... And why would they-YOU want me back?!"

 

"I was not in The Dark Brotherhood when you were...exiled, hence you killed no brother of mine, nor do I care for your past, I am the Listener and that's half thanks to you." Ra'vani ears and nose twitched as she spoke, her hands moved to a satchel tied to her belt as she loosened the buckle slipping a single piece of parchment from her belt.

 "-Consider this how you repay your debt to me."

 

Raven's bloody fingers reached for the parchment as they trembled almost dropping it, the paper reached her eyes, as she slowly unfolded it breaking the black wax skull seal on the back. She couldn't believe her eyes for what she saw the letter contains.

 

"A contact, seriously?"  

 

"Blood for blood, of equal favor - it will make our Father pleased once more."

 

"I don't even know who this is! - where will I find them?!"

 

Ra'vani stood silently, perhaps confused as to why she didn't know.  "No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?"

 

 

Fucking assassins and their endless riddles...

 

 

Raven nodded her head and stuffed the parchment into the pocket of her leather trousers as she looked back to where Faeyln laid waiting unconsciously.

 

"Your friend is waking."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raven hobbled with Ra'vani at her side, the spoon dug deeper with every step taken and something felt broken but she was unsure what. Faeyln laid peacefully gathered in the sand as the dragon laid curled up snoozing on the bank of the sore. "Faeyln," Raven shook him with both hands as she crashed into the sand trying to wake him from his deep slumber. "C'mon," Raven hissed frustrated as she finally slapped him with the back of her hand making his eyes twitch and the purple bruise on just chin and jaw tremble. "Raven?" Faeyln groaned as his hands went straight for his head as he clenched it tightly with both hands. "Did...did you punch me?!"

 

"No, no..." Raven smiled, slipping Dorian's crystal back around his neck that laid beside him, "It was your fairy godmother, sleeping beauty."

 

Faelyn's eyes fluttered as he sat up slowly dizzy and weary from the world around him, "Raven..." He paused finally seeing the massive amount of fresh blood all over Raven's stomach to the waist, "What happened, are you alright?!"

 

Raven pointed with pursed lips to the figure that stood to the shore next to the massive dragon, a ball of ember light she held in her fist tending to the dragons large split wing. "Is that -?"

 

"Yes," Raven muttered.

 

"A cat?!"

 

"What? No, I meant that's Dovahkiin."

 

"That's a cat, Raven...a cat-person?!"

 

"A Khajiit, one who apparently owns a dragon." She corrected, "Who stabbed me with a spoon."

 

"What?!" Faeyln turned to Raven his eyes still fuzzy as he looked back to her chest pulling at the scarf that bound her tight. "HOLY SHIT," he grasped, "That's brutal! - does....doesn't that hurt, it looks- ah...deep."

 

Raven breathed in a large amount of air, "Yes, it's very -VERY deep." her eye twitching as she spoke.    

 

"Do you want me too-" Faeyln looked back down to his hand that never felt this empty before, "right, no magic..."

 

"Yeah..." She turned to him with a shake of her head, "You are very helpful."

 

 

Ra'vani turned from her dragon and walked back to the two elves covered in sand and dirt who laid in filth watching her from a distance, "I am going now, do not forget what we spoke about," Ra'vani's moved to the side as her large ears twitched as if she was picking up a sound from the distance, "People are coming, running- one big and one small," Her head tilted to the side as she sniffed her nose and narrowed her eyes with a frown. "A wolf, why do I smell a wolf?"

 

Raven looked to Faeyln as they both shrugged, "There's no wolf..."

 

"I smell a mutt, I do not like to the company of dogs." Ra'vani turned as she faced her dragon off into the distance, Faeyln not taking his eyes off the short stump of a tail that belonged to the cat-woman in front of him. "Azura's star," Raven muttered, "You have it right?"

 

"It is true." She spoke not turning.

 

"Can I- "

 

"Yes, consider it your paying for what we spoke off."

 

"Ah-"

 

The Khajiit turned with pursed lips and a sour look, "I do not have it on me elfling, you will find it Solitude." Ra'vani pulled a key from a pocket tossing it too Faeyln with a single quick throw, "Where about -which house?" She asked confused by her lack of information.

 

"The nicest one of course." Ra'vani winked with a smile as she strode with long grace fall steps of her strong feline legs. "One last thing Silencer,"

 

"Yes?"

 

 "Innocence, my brother." She muttered under breath not uttering another single word as fingers rubbed over the dragon softly, waking it from its slumber as hopped on it's back and held onto its neck as it began to flap its wings. A wave of sand covered the two elves as the dragon flew off it into the air with one loud roar and a breath of red-hot fire.

 

"Show off." Raven watched, the figure disappear into the distance.

 

"I don't know whether more confused that she called you brother, the fact I just saw a cat ride a dragon or that part where she stabbed you with a spoon."

 

Raven laughed with a smile covered in sand and blood as she saw Cullen and Solas begin to appear from the beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As twin moons sparkled against the sky, Raven felt the heat of the campfire warm her hands as she moved ever so slowly to clean her bloody bindings.

 

Cullen was still furious when he first got a glimpse of them laying in the sand, both covered in bruises and her with a spoon stuck in her hip, 'You were missing for hours!' he raged on for what seemed an age, now he sat by the fire on the sore, sword in hand sharping it with a whetstone with a foul look upon his face.

 

Her fingers trembled, the pain was getting worse as Faeyln kneeled beside her with a concerned look on his brow. "Solas, says we're going to have to pull it out." He pointed to the end of the spoon and her bare skin.

 

"Out?- Now?" Raven gulped in her throat, that sounded painful, it was in deep after all...

 

"Yeah, do you want it to fester and become infected?"

 

Raven shook her head, that sounded almost as bad.

 

"Hold still for me, okay?" Faeyln lifted her shirt and removed the bindings as his hands felt over the damage, "How in the void did she stab you so deep with a spoon-" He muttered softly touching the handle.

 

"OUCH!" Raven hissed angrily.

 

"Shush, you're a big baby...it's just a spoon." Faeyln chuckled to himself, "What did the cat say about payment and talking earlier?"

 

Her teeth grinned within her mouth sore from the pain, "I'm not sure, to be honest, she wasn't making a lot of sense." Raven lied, as she groaned again as Faeyln touched her with his fingers.

 

"Well, that I agree with..." He smiled, "At least we have a lead on the star...now we just have to find- Solitude...is that a place or a state of mind? - I am slightly confused by that as well."

 

Raven painfully laughed, "A city- not far from here-- a days walk at most, maybe less."

 

"Oh, goodies, real food and a bath, two plus' in one."

 

"Except the fact that I am an extremely wanted criminal and walking into a city at the moment is one of those things I kinda want to avoid."

 

"Wear a mask?"

 

"Why didn't I ever think of that, Faeyln?" Raven shook her head with her sarcastic tone.

 

 

Faeyln moved closer his hands touching the wound softly with his cold slender hands, "Argh, that's really stuck in there."

 

Raven took a deep breath and ground her teeth as she clenched her jaw, "Just pull it out."

 

"I am trying, it's deep - It's really stuck it in there!"

 

Faeyln stopped to frown at her as he pushed his swept hair behind his long pointed ear.

 

"What's wrong, never pulled cutlery outta' girl before?"

 

"No, on a number of levels."

 

 

"Oh, surprises! - looks like I get to be your first!" Raven winked half delusional from blood loss and being thrown around all day.

 

"You are an optimist, I'll give you that sweetheart." He grinned grabbing the handle giving it a hard pull that made her scream with pain, yet it refused to budge.

 

"FUCK FAEYLN."

 

"Sorry-"

 

Raven took a deep breath, that hurt more than getting stabbed in the first place...

 

"JUST PULL IT OUT, PULL-IT-OUT, PULL OUT."

 

"Ahem..." Solas coughed in the distance with an awkward glare from across the fire and his eyes wide open, "I-"

 

Faeyln grabbed the spoon one poor time, pulling with all his strength as it finally came loose as he fell on to his back holding the spoon high in the air as Raven sobbed in pain. "I HAVE THE SPOON!" he yelled in triumph,

"Holy shit, IT'S A FORK!"

 

 

"Fork me." Raven cried in agony.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What's wrong, never pulled cutlery outta' girl before?" - My humour is on a down hill spiral X'D
> 
> Azura save me.


	21. Finding Solitude.

 

 

# Finding Solitude.

 

 

 

  
   
   
It was pouring rain, heavy drops splashed the ground over and over, drenching them all from head to boots as the walked through the endless bucketing rain. Solas groaned on, staff in hand and his backpack placed over the boldness of his head. "If the Fade was here, we could make a barrier - to keep dry." He kept going on and on, Raven clenched her jaw having to listen to his consent whining, he was becoming more of an old man every day - even more than Neloth. Cullen hummed as he walked, his shield placed firmly over his head keeping his thick honey curls dry from the rain without a care in the world. Faeyln, on the other hand, stood there drenched like a shaggy wolfhound.

 

The ground was muddy and sludgy as it stuck to the ends Raven's boots slowing down her hobbling pace, everything still hurt and it made everything so much worse, she needed a temple and fast in hopes to heal her injuries.

 

Raven clenched her side as she walked, she had been stabbed and hit with arrows before but nothing like this, she starts to believe that it wasn't just the damage or deepness for why the wound hurt so bad, perhaps poison - most likely a concoction of nightshade or riverbetty.

 

She contemplated long whether Cullen could carry her, but the idea of seeming weak was out of the question, she walk till her legs gave up and she knees buckled before her.

 

"Are you alright? - you're getting slow." Faeyln spoke as he pushed his soaking wet fridge back from his face, his vallaslin glowing brightly upon his brow.

 

"Yes, I am fine." She lied gritting her teeth as her hand moved from her hip.

 

"Sure? - I could carry you."

 

"You?" Raven chuckled, "with those mage arms?"

 

Faeyln looked into his arms with a shrug, "You could get on my back, you aren't that heavy."

 

"How would you know?!"

 

 

How did he know...

 

 

"I carried you to your cell, the second time."

 

 

The rain was getting heavier and the downpour thicker with every wave of rain.

 

 

"What?!" She yelled over the loud crashing of rain.

 

"You were asleep!"

 

 

"You tried to attack me," Solas said eavesdropping on their conversation.

 

"I ATE TOO MANY HERBS AND I WAS SLIGHTLY DRUGGED, THANKS TO YOU DAGOTH." Raven yelled back towards to the bold wet elf slightly ahead of her, "FOR A GOD, YOU ARE A TERRIBLE KISSER."

 

"I AM NOT A GOD," Solas yelled back.

 

 

Sure, sure...

 

 

Raven gritted her teeth through the pain, she could see the outline of Solitudes massive windmill and the great arch through the heavy mist of rain, it was getting closer now.

 

 

"Is that it?" Cullen pointed to the far off distance.

 

"Yeah, that'll be it." Raven had never been into the gates of Solitude before but she had heard rumors of its beauty matching the districts of Cyrodill.

 

"Ouch, ah- fun-" Raven stopped herself from swearing as she bit her lip in pain from the tender wound and Solas' poor attempts to place stitches, he might of been a healer in his land but here he was just a grumpy old man, with a thinning hairline and a useless staff.

 

"Raven!" Faeyln grabbed her arm, seeing her struggle was hard to bare for hours. "At least let me give you an elfroot!"

 

 

"What?! - No, I don't want to have sex with you Faeyln."  Raven frowned both her brows, confused why he would ask such a thing, here of all places...

 

 

"WHAT?"

........"What?!"

..."Pardon?"

 

 

Why where they all listening...

 

"I don't feel so good." Her legs trembled, knees week as her head felt feather light.

 

"I think- I think--"

 

 

Raven fell face first into the mud beneath her collapsing in a splash. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	22. "Wake up. We're here. why are you shaking, are you okay?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-- The title goes to our old skooma bro Saint Jiub.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> \-------------------------------------[Mild Warning for Gore and Lore Overdosing]-----------------------------------

 

# "Wake up. We're here. why are you shaking, are you okay?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
"Raven?" Someone shook her, she felt her head shake back and forth with someone's hands upon her shoulders. Eyes dim, the world felt dark and cool, cold - maybe snow, frozen tears falling from the heavens. Her head moved with a jolt. Thoughts drifted into jumbles of a mess, nothing made sense. "Am I dead?" was this Sovngarde -- No, she wasn't Nord nor a warrior of any kind, her soul would go to Sithis when she died, that was in vow she took when she was seventeen -- it didn't mean anything back then, she was just a stupid kid willing to do anything for gold.

 

"No, you're not dead," a voice said softly. She felt warm inside even know it was freezing cold like winter ice and as wet as if she had pledged into the deepest oceans of the void. "We're almost there, just hold on alright?" Visions flashed before her eyes, the warm sands of Elsweyr greeting her toes and the hot sun roasting her pasty skin to an elven golden brown. Elsweyr had always been her favorite province in all of Tamriel, it was neither the sun that did it nor the heat, in fact, she preferred the cold and the snow, but something about the land always felt pure and beautiful. Her first ever contact she had received from The Dark Brotherhood had been sent by Cheydinhal's very own speaker Rasha, by the forms of a dead drop in the hollowing of log in her childhood home of Greenheart. It was the fourth era in 188, Corinthe Sanctuary in Elsweyr had been shut now in the recent months, everyone had moved Cheydinhal but Contacts still had to flow and so did blood.

 

She was seventeen young and cocky, full of life and little of experience except stealing jewels from nobles and heisting imperial war-carriages. The Great War had made everything so easy, the Thalmor were around every turn striking fear into everyone from beggars to nobles as they executed every Blade from the Summerset Isles to Valenwood, if the Blades weren't safe, how could anyone be. Valenwood wasn't safe anymore, anywhere the Aldmeri Dominion set a foothold was no longer welcomed to anyone of other beliefs, little alone thieves or assassins. Dark Brotherhood Sanctuaries where closing around every province as they are united under few roofs. They began recruiting anyone with little skill to keep their name going and their reputation up, and everyone knew It was public kills they wanted and a hefty bonus went to anyone brazen enough to make a public city assassination.

 

So here she was in the heart of Corinthe, the skooma capital of Tamriel or so said the locals. The air was warm and crisp and many people gathered in the streets selling goods from distant lands and far-off places, animals she had never seen before gathered in cages, everything from utterly terrifying bonewalkers sold by strange Dunmer mages to pack guars, but it was a scamp selling kwama egg's defiantly took the sweet cake of the strange. It was hard for Raven to keep her head straight when there was so much to look at, so much ripe for the taking. A sweetroll was taken as she walked, she saw no harm in one missing sweetroll, to her delight they were even better made by Khajiit's who had perfected their traditional Elsweyr cuisine. 

 

Raven opened her contract as she walked down the street in her Boiled Netch armor and colorful striped scarf bought from a traveling Khajiit caravan on her way from Greenheart. Sticky sweet crumbs feel onto the parchment as she walks along flicking the paper clean. Her first kill for Sithis was going to a Dunmer who led a cartel smuggling moonsuger, making skooma and trafficking Argonian and Khajiit slaves to shores of Morrowind, so it wasn't surprising someone put a hit out on him. The Morag Tong where becoming picky with their contacts and even though it was far more legal to go with them, people often chose The Brotherhood for the clean quick jobs and no job was ever to difficult or refused as long as abided by the five tenets.

 

Perched high she waited and watched, a shiny golden Dwarven bow in hand, polished and cleaned she waited for hours on end, dwemer goggles pushed over eyes she watched on for the Dunmer figure to appear in the streets below. She had one shot to get the bonus, it had to be public, if he was to get spooked and went into hiding everything would be forfeited, this couldn't happen to her first contract, no - this had to be done quickly and perfectly.

 

The figure finally appeared after hours, the sun was now setting and the moons beginning to shine high in the sky. Masser and Secunda where ever more beautiful here, it was no wonder the Khajiit worshiped the moons as greatly as they did. As the figure moved Raven trailed him, she arose along the rooftops slowly, her googles where tapped with her index finger to illuminated their night-eye enchantment, if they were perfect for midnight house sweeps, then they would be good enough for rooftop assassins too. The Dunmer moved closer to the market district, he stopped briefly to talk to an Argonian selling Imperial flin and sujamma yet the stall was in the way of her aim, he had to move and she didn't want to hit anyone else.

 

He moved finally, a bottle of flin in his hand as he strode in the coolness of the night as the scorching sun had now gone to bed and the changing of the temperatures and had hit her fast from being so high up. Raven's bow shifted in her grasp her fingers losing their clenching on the leather grim as she relaxed her muscles for one last moment. Two arrows where drawn and placed within the grooves of her fingers, it was one shot that was going to kill the Dunmer, but two arrows laced with poison was going to make sure it was done fast and quick, after it was done she would have to move fast and get out Corinthe as quick as possible. Raven had killed before, but never so openly within a city.

 

Aching straining arms, she pulled the bowstring tight and as far back as possible aiming ahead and higher than her target, the wind was dull, perfect for archery and the darkness was perfect for her yet dulled his senses from seeing her above the roof. A breath was taken, she breathed in releasing the arrow as she let go, her eyes closed as she began to open them her victim laid in the street below her, one arrow to the neck and the other to the chest, Raven had completed her contact.

 

"Raven!"

 

Was someone calling her?

 

 

 

An eye-opener, it was no longer Elsweyr nor did she feel the warmth of the summer sands, no -- this was Skyrim, and she laid in elven man's arms freezing to the bone and her head spinning like she had taken a whole bowl of moonsugar. "Raven, look at me." Her eyes fluttered to the dizzy outline of dirty blond hair, it was almost ivory. "Faeyln --is that you?"

 

"Yes, sweetheart...you need to get on your legs, we are almost in the city, it seems like we are at a farm?" He stopped for a moment and looked around, "Yes, it seems so Inquisitor." She heard Solas speak in his usual calm and collected voice. "No, it's a stable." Said Cullen pointing to a nearby wooden sign that had rotted away by the sea water and constant rainy weather, "See there - Katla's Farm and Stable." 

 

"Oh," Raven said as her head rolled back, her muscles aching tight. Faeyln grabbed her hand pulling her onto her legs as Cullen helped to support her from falling again. "Maker, you look like death." He muttered as he straightened her shoulders and dusted off the wet mud on her top. "I---am----a'ight," was all she could manage to say at this moment in time, her head was dizzy and nothing made sense.

 

Faeyln shuffled her close as he moved her hair from her face and pulled her hood over her head to keep her face from a view of the guards, this was going to be risky, but it had to be worth it, they had come this far already and they couldn't give up now.

 

Swirls of colors appeared in her eyes, hazy yet turning into shapes as she took one step at a time, she could do this, she was a strong Bosmer woman. "Faelyn, you can let go of me." her voice came quietly as her feet begin to move more fluently with each step. Great steel doors laid ahead, she could see them and it was most defiantly Solitude she had heard of, it just was massive and as beautiful as the tales had described it. "Ha, yeah- no...if only you could see yourself, Raven, I ain't letting go of you anytime soon."

 

She shook her head, nothing was wrong with her, she was just a little woozy that was it. One step was taken, the gates were getting closer, she could see the Solitude guards waiting out the front in their armor, red sashes and painted wooden shield depicting the wolf head of Solitude. Raven's fingers moved, grasping her leather hood bringing it further down her face from the guards' ray of a site as the neared ever so close.

 

 

"Halt,"

 

 

Shit...shit...

 

 

Raven stood still, as one of the guards moved closer. Faeyln moved towards Raven, blocking her behind his body but it was hard from their gazing eyes.

 

 

"What's three Bosmer's and Nord doing outside the gates at this hour, what's your reason for entering the city?"

 

Faeyln and Solas where obviously not Bosmer's, he was obviously an Imperial under that helm, a dimwitted one at that too. Raven moved silently, thinking on the spot was never something she was good at.

 

"Just staying here for the week, we've been on the road since Morndas, we seek only mead and a warm bed." Raven grinned as much as she possibly could, but the pain made it almost impossible.

 

The guard moved closer, straighten out his helmet as he moved, his fur-lined boots crunched over the rocky ground and his leather gloved hands moved from holding the shield to moving back to his sword as he walked. Lavender she could smell in the air, it smelt crisp and sweet and the sound of the city was filling her ears even from here behind the giant metal gates.

 

"Do I know you?" The guard spoke coming closer, pushing back raven's hood revealing her half covered in mud face and her dirty red hair that hung loosely over her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered up staring at the man in front of her as he looked back at the other guard. "Have you seen this woman before? she looks familiar." 

 

The other guard shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno, maybe." he spoke not being helpful to anyone but her.

 

Faeyln remained quiet as did the others, she could feel their hearts race around her. "You're mistaken, us elves all look the same, you know how it is."

 

The guard laughed with a stupid cackle, "Indeed, the city has been overrun with Altmer of late too, you should watch yourselves within the gates, I am afraid Thalmor run most of Skyrim now, or at least they're trying -- five executions this alone."

 

 

Shit... That wasn't good...

 

 

Raven groaned in pain as she stood their cold and wet needing healer, a bath and a bed more than anything. "Are you alright, let me guess someone stole your sweetroll?" The guard chuckled behind his helmet as he watched her clenched her jaw and hip.

 

"I wish, I got stabbed by Dovahkiin."

 

"Haven't we all," He muttered grimly, "open the gate! -- go in, head for the Winking Skeever, you four look like you need of a hot meal and a warm bed."

 

Raven nodded her head with a single thanks as she shuffled through the gates of Solitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solitude smelt a funny to Raven's senses, almost like salted fish and spices but it was pleasant to her nose. Faeyln pulled her hood up again covering her head from a site, "Come on, we should find that house so we can give her some rest." He told the others, but something made the stand still and forget everything that was on mind.

 

"By Ysmir, I am a true son of Skyrim and I will not bow down to you elven filth, you will never own Skyrim! Talos and Sovngarde await, can you say the same?" 

 

An Altmer moved beside the kneeling man, dressed in head to toe in a Thalmor robe, scroll in hand he pulled it loose and read from the long embroiled parchment.

 

"I Ondolemar, Head Justiciar am charged with enforcing the ban on Talos worship sentence this man,  Eorlund Gray-Mane, to deal by treason of the Empire and of The Aldmeri Dominion. You are the last of your traitorous clan, do you have any final words, mhm?"

 

"Aye," Eorlund said with his hands bound behind his back and his white hair draping over his shoulders. "I worked the Skyforge as did my clan-fathers since the Gray-Manes came to Whiterun, I served the Companions. I lived well and long, and now I go to Sovngarde to await my clan once more and Kodlak Whitemane, Talos guide me."

 

"Ah, yes...very good...what I expected from a traitor." Ondolemar clapped his hand twice in his padded gloves to call over the Redguard headsmen, "Come on, some of us don't have all day."

 

"For Skyrim!" Eorlund Gray-Mane said with passion as the headsmen swag his head clean off with a single blow and steady flow of blood that poured from the opened wound as the head rolled towards the edge of the off the block and onto the ground beneath towards the crowd that slowly gathered. "Traitor! Traitor!"  They shouted clapping their hands with applause.

 

Raven gulped in her throat watching the head roll further and further with the swish sway of silver grey hair. "Did, elves just do that, are they---in charge?" Faeyln asked naïve to the ways of Skyrim and the customs of Tamriel, "Yes, so they are." Solas and Faeyln stood their empty by those words, this land was run by elves and yet they treated humans worse then Human's treating elves in their homeland. "Maker, I think I am going to be sick." Cullen stepped back shocked by what he just saw, wanting to escape from this place and its grisly nature.

 

"Bag the head and ship it to Whiterun, I want it on a spike out the front of Jorrvaskr with the rest of them, have everyone know that Talos worship will not be tolerated!"

 

Raven turned to her side as Faeyln supported her center of gravity keeping her up straight, "I think we should--"

"Yes, let's go -- I have seen enough."

 

Cullen walked behind the three elves as he looked behind one last time, watching the headsmen gather the head and shove it into a linen sack.

 

 

 

  
 

"Where's does The Dragonborn live, can you tell me - that would be great, thanks," Faeyln asked everyone he asked pointed in the same way, to the same house and each stranger greeting them with a familiar glare that was the same as the last, all saying the same thing in return. 'There are strange noises that come from Proudspire Manor, you do well to stay away.' Maybe it was haunted, a wrath perhaps - or a lich. Ugh, Raven wanted nothing to do with either, she had left Cyrodill behind for all that, for what was a home full of rats, headless zombies, and nightmarish wraths. She had found dragons, skeever, and ice wraiths everywhere in Tamriel were dangerous beyond belief.

 

"Here it is, Maker, the house looks --" Cullen paused taking the key from Faeyln as he drew his sword walking up the balcony, "Normal." there where no sounds nor anything odd at all, it was just a regular looking house, Ra'vani had said it was the best looking, she wasn't wrong - Raven half expected it to look like an abandoned house the way everyone spoke of it, like the one in Cheydinhal. Cullen slipped the key in slowly as he turned the lock, it clicked as the door slowly opened. Solas and Faeyln helped Raven up the stairs, each step was harder than the last until she finally made it to the door.

 

The lights where on, someone was home.

 

Loud whistling and singing were coming from the top floor and heavy steps were coming towards them, boots on stone, large boots.

 

 

 

  "...tra la la, tra la lee, da da dum dum, dee dee..."

 

 

 

They stood there in silence all four of them as Cullen stood ready with his blade and shield.

 

"Oh Silencer, you're finally here! Dear Cicero was starting to get concerned." A jester stood before here, calling Raven by rank as he danced on the spot and the bells on his hat rang with each movement.

 

"A friend of yours?" Faeyln raised an eyebrow towards the little man.

 

"Ha ha ha ha ha, No, no! Dear sweet Cicero does not have the pleasure. But we have mutual friends, yes we do! -- The Listener has sent Cicero here, the sweet Listener listens can't you see?!"

 

Raven stood silently as a statue, as the others watched on helpless and confused by what they were seeing and hearing.

 

"It's good to meet you, Cicero." Faeyln lent out his hand but Cicero stood back and looked at it in disgust.

 

"I was not talking to you WORM, Cicero was speaking to his dark-sister!"

 

"Er--" Faeyln dropped his hand awkwardly.

 

"Come on sweet-sister," Cicero pulled Raven by the arm unexpectedly, "Let's run you a bath, dear Cicero will make you all shiny and clean!"

 

She looked back to Faeyln as she was tugged alone, her eyes met his in an awkward long stare, "HELP-ME." She mouthed silently.

 

"Oh, we're going to be fast friends. Fast friends." Cicero laughed with a smile, his bells jingling along with his skipping like strides.

 

 

   
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 


	23. The Three Newest Littlest Recruits.

 

 

# The Three Newest Littlest Recruits.

 

 

 

  
   
 

 "Do you by any chance know how to heal a stab wound?" Raven asked as Cicero tugged at her arm along the narrow halls of Proudspire Manor. Cicero laughed with glee in response as he shook his head, his bells jingling with a merry chime. "No, no! Dear Cicero only knows how to inflict wounds, not heal. Does Cicero look like a nurse? - or does the pretty little Silencer want this one to dress up, mph?"  

 

"Only if it would help." She smirked biting her lip as she walked behind him hesitant to where he could be leading her. Cicero didn't reply as he pulled her along till large door awaited, he opened it with a nudge of his shoulder. "Here, there -- Cicero will wait by the door, no one will disturb you." Raven gulped in her throat, this little man was highly intense, mad obviously but hopefully the good kind. "Would you mind getting me a healing poultice -- maybe two." She asked as she pulled her disgusting leather coat off that smelt like mud, grime, and sludge. "Of course, humble Cicero lives to serve." With a swift nod of his head and a grin cracked across his face, he skipped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

 

The room was empty finally and a tub of water laid in front of her feet, it looked too good to be true. All it needed was a fist full of fire to make it the perfect temperature. Clothes unravel slowly as they dropped to her feet, sliding slowly down over her knees as the fabric clung to the open wound, and the stitches that had been torn from all the walking. The water was perfect, almost like a hot spring but inside porcelain tub, it was luxury she had soon forgotten from her last year on the road and in Solstheim, living in giant fungus had its cons. It was warm and relaxing, the water lapped around her aching body, hot water stinging the wound slightly than a tingling numbing feeling washed over her. Eyes fluttered, Raven was tired, mentally and physically.

 

Water turned red as she bunked her head, the coloring from her hair slowly fading slowly back to the dirty blondish tone she hated with a passion. Her mind drifted, calm and tranquil her eyes closed for what seemed a moment that turned to minutes. A loud knock jolting Raven from her fevered slumber, "Cicero is back with the elixirs Silencer, they'll just be at the door when you're ready, with ME of course, hehe."  Raven slapped her face with her palm, this little man was defiantly something entirely else.

 

With a slow and painful tug, Raven dragged herself up onto her legs, the wound already felt better by far, maybe the hot water washed some of whatever poison the Dragonborn had used, whatever it was she had intended Raven to move fast, not wanting her to lollygag. Ra'vani wanted her here in Solitude fast but if not for the star than what? - Raven shook her head, confused by the Khajiit's motives who knew what this Listener wanted, they had a dragon soul, and she knew very well the only thing dragons want; fire, treasure, and virgins... explain why she keeps a crazy jester in her house.

 

 She looked down at her scattered clothes, there was no way they were going back on. Her eyes drifted and wandered around the room, a glimpse of what she hoped to be a linen cupboard took her site as she stepped forward before barefoot. The floor felt cold under the weight of her toes, her feet ached with too much walking in wet boots the day before. Fingers entwined themselves around the doorknob as she smiled with delight.

 

 

 

 

Faeyln wondered the house with a grim feeling of being watched by their unusual host, the Star had to be around here somewhere, what did it even look like? Solas sat down at the kitchen table with Cullen, they both looked worse for wear and they wore a farcical expression that said a thousand words, yet none were good. Solas grabbed the book on the table as his fingers flicked it open he scrunched his nose up and turned the page. "What is it, something useful?" Faeyln asked as he joined him by taking a seat on the opposite end of the table.

 

"--No, I am afraid not Inquisitor. It appears to be a book on--" Solas turned the book over and looked at the cover, "Daedric Princes -- Royalty? -- No, that dog in fresco was daedra wasn't it? A book on demons then."

 

Cullen swallowed nervously looking at the book, remembering too well about that blasted demon mutt. "We aren't going to summon it again, are we? - please say, no...sweet Maker, I don't want to be involved."

 

Faeyln shook his head to Cullen, "No, but that book could be helpful.. ...Maybe..." He shrugged full of doubt as he lent out his hand for the book Solas had turned his nose too.

 

The book was opened from the middle as he read alone what it contained, "Molag Bal -- strange name." his eyes wondered as he read further on. "Whose sphere is the domination and enslavement of mortals; whose desire is to harvest the souls of mortals and to bring mortals souls within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms."

 

"He - well, doesn't sound pleasant."

 

"He's not called the King of Rape for nothing." A woman's voice came from the stairs as she slowly walked down, her arm on the shoulder of the jester and a red bottle in the other. "Er...what are you wearing?" It was black and gold and draped over feet and clung to her waist tightly.

 

"A Thalmor robe looks like we are going undercover... I can't have you three walking around the capital of Skyrim dressed like that, and no one will question my wanted face if it risks pissing off the Thalmor." Raven out spread her hands with the two sets of robes for Solas and Faeyln, "Oh c'mon, don't look at me like that, go on...put it on." Faeyln reached for the set, passing one to Solas. It smelt funky like berries and The Fade.  "What about Cullen, why doesn't he have one?"

 

"A Nord looking man, in a Thalmor robe?" Raven laughed, life slowly starting to wash back over her. "I found the perfect thing upstairs, a set of Imperial armor, maybe fit for a Commander or something, I dunno -- but you should go put it on Cullen, and even wear the sword and shield."

 

Cullen stood with a swift nod, playing dress-up was better than being their demon guinea pig. "Upstairs?"

"Yes," She nodded, "First door on the right. It's the armor with the dragon crest on the chest plate."

 

He shook his head, as he walked up the stairs slowly.

 

"You two, meet me outside when you're dressed, we have something to tend too... Are you going to come to Cicero?" She turned to the helpful jester.

 

"No, no...Cicero, will stay and watch the house." He nodded his head with a smile as he disappeared into the basement.

 

Thank the Gods for that...

 

 

Raven was greeted with the night sky as she walked out onto the porch, the air was cold and chilly but nowhere near unpleasant. Her hip still hurt, it would take awhile to heal but at least all the poison was taken care of, and for it was worth she was strong enough to cope with that. Fingers grasped the rails, the city looked beautiful at night with the lights littering the streets and the stars lighting the sky, everything was almost perfect.

 

"Alright, here we are -- this better is good." Faeyln walked beside Solas, both wearing the Thalmor robes and matching gloves, though they were elves, yet they looked nothing like Altmer's. "If anyone asks why we are short, tell them we are from the Valenwood's Aldmeri Dominion. In fact, just don't say anything, leave that to me." Raven shook her head as she watched Solas straighten out his new robes with a look on his face that said he was unpleased.

 

"What is your plan, you do have one?" Solas asked as he tugged on the end of his gloves. "Yes, we need gold - Septims, by all standards we are horrifically broke, we need money."

 

"Money - where from? Please don't tell me you're planning to steal it." Faeyln rolled his eyes. "I am not helping you steal, WE ARE not helping you steal."

 

"Would you feel less conflicted about it if I told you we were stealing stolen gold?"

 

"Slightly." Faeyln crossed his arms not impressed.

 

"Good, because that's the plan. The Thieves Guild leaves cache's in every city, for their people in need...And considering they screwed me over, 'I am in need.' We just have to follow the shadow marks."

 

"Raven, please talk common tongue, you're speaking shit again," Faeyln mumbled annoyed, what the fuck was a shadowmark.

 

"Just follow me and keep your mouths shut." Raven signed heavy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	24. Shadow Hide You.

 

# Shadow Hide You.

 

 

How come there is a 'shadowmark' on everyone's house and no one has caught onto it yet?" Faeyln asked as he walked beside Solas as they followed Raven from behind in the dark. Raven shrugged cluelessly to the mysteries of the world. "Dunno, somethings in this world we'll never understand... Where close though, it has to be around here somewhere."

 

Faeyln watched Raven walk ahead, Solas was watching too - maybe too close to the point it made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

 

"Diana ithal fra ash masa, Solas." Faeyln laughed, feeling the comfort of home using his native tongue.

 

" - Banal."

 

" - alas shan, hahren."

 

"Alright, that's enough, what are you two talking about?!" Raven turned facing them, her hands on her hips, annoyed with their secret language. 

 

"-Dirth ar ju' dirasha ma," Solas said quickly on the tip of his tongue as he turned to Faeyln.

 

"Da'lan."  He snapped back.

 

"Ma ane."

 

"He said... " Faeyln began to speak as Solas grabbed the lobe of his ear with a pinched pull that kinked his neck. "Ouch, alright --alright!" He lifted his hands showing his palms, yielding to Solas' demand.

 

"Oh my gods, you two." Raven shook her head towards them, they just couldn't help themselves...why couldn't they just pretend to be Thalmor agents for even five fucking minutes.

 

 "Sorry." Faeyln lowered his head as he frowned towards Solas.

 

Raven pushed past them both, the gold had to be around right where she was standing, but the darkness was making it hard to see, if only she was a Khajiit. "Ah..." she mumbled, bending down slowly on her knees. Three barrels stood before her leaning against the opposite the Bards College. "Solas, Faeyln...one of you get in that barrel there and fish out whatever is inside."

 

"You heard the woman, get in the barrel Solas." Faeyln pushed Solas gently with a smirk.

 

 

"Excuse me? - Don't be absurd!"

 

 

"I am the Inquisitor, remember."

 

 

"One without power."

 

 

"FINE!" Faeyln finally called, rolling up his sleeves as he pulled the lid from the barrel. It was big and deep, he had bend over to reach into it. "Ah, I can feeling something long and thick - so it's defiantly not Solas' coc-" Solas kicked Faelyn's foot before he could finish his sentence.  "Ouch, feisty." Faeyln leaned up with a grin passing the long object in a thin linen fabric to Raven, "looks like a blade of some kind." he shrugged curious to see what it looked like.

 

"Perhaps you should use it, Inquisitor, such a long blade should be used for ...compensation." 

 

"Fuck you, Solas." Faeyln turned with frowned brow across his head as he dug deeper into the barrel, his hands dug around in the darkness, he couldn't see anything. "Er, I smell -- what is that cheese? No...no... It's just Solas' mother." Faeyln grabbed the eidar cheese wheel, throwing it at Solas. "How eloquent Inquisitor." Solas held the cheese in his hands more frustrated now than before, "Why the FUCK was there a cheese wheel in the barrel?" Faeyln asked loudly as he turned to the barrel once again.

 

"I don't know, but keep going." Raven fussed over the two stupid elves.

 

 "Okay, okay --- I got something heavy this time... So it's defiantly not my self-doubt." He smiled with a toothy grin towards Raven, trying to be - well she didn't know.

 

A large sack was pulled out, as Faeyln began passing it to Raven -- "What will this get me, sweetheart?" He grinned holding out the bag as Raven snatched it from his grasp. "Well, for starters I won't punch you in the fucking face."

 

"Alright, fine... You're lucky you have a good swing." Faeyln rubbed his still saw jaw where she had previously punched him.

 

"Can we go back now?!" Solas asked in a hurry as he pushed the cheese back to Faeyln, no longer wanting to hold it.

 

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

 

 

Cullen was sitting on the stairs when they arrived back to the house, full in Imperial armor and the helm to his knee. "You left without me -- Maker, don't leave me with that crazy jester!" Cullen signed into the distance, as he stood once more. "Please tell me, you found what you needed."

 

"Yes and more." Raven smiled holding her small bounty of gold, it could be more, but it would have to last them for the trip, it couldn't be more than a few hundred Septims at most. "Let's get inside before someone sees's us," Raven stated as she walked slowly up the stairs and back into the warm house. Cicero was in the basement again for what she could tell, he whistled and sung low from the bottom room, for whatever he was doing, she was just glad he wasn't up here annoying her.

 

With Cicero now out of the way, they wondered the house. Azura's star had to be around here somewhere, cabinet, a chest, and glass display...where would you keep a priceless Daedric artifact? - Raven walked with the others following showily behind her, shadowing her steps to what seemed like a master bedroom, it had to be in here. A chest was at the end of the bed, a long skinny one. "Azura's star, do you think it's in there?" She turned to the others who seemed just as confused as her. Raven pulled on the padlock that held it tight, it was locked.

 

"We need Master Tethras." Solas signed towards the lock, or maybe Cole...

"I could give it ago." Faeyln shrugged, "anyone got a lockpick?"

 

"You want to give it ago? - now, this I want to see." Raven pulled a lockpick out of her pocket, one of the only things she kept on her at all times.

 

Faeyln took the lockpick in hand, he had to see Varric do this thousand times and he made it look so easy.

 

"Inquisitor, I could simply break the lock off." Cullen said quietly yet Faeyln shrugged it off, "I'll be right, have faith, Cullen!"

 

Faeyln bent down on his knees grabbing the lock in hand as he inserted the pick, "Er...mhm..." he pursed his lips to the side as he twisted the lock, nothing seemed to be happening.

 

 

Solas chuckled as he shook his head, "It would seem our Inquisitor lacks the skill required."    

 

 

"Yeah, yeah." Faeyln groaned as he tried harder, trying to remember how Varric does it.

 

 

"What some advise?" Raven asked.

 

 

"Yes, as long as it's helpful." His head turned.

 

 

"It's a lot like making love, a little to the right...a little to the left...then" Raven pop sound with her mouth, "Pop."

 

 

"Greeeeat, thanks for that image -- really helpful."

 

 

Faeyln dropped the lock frustrated with the pick still in hand, "Alright, maybe I am no rogue..."

 

 

"Don't give up, focus on the lock...use your mind though."

 

 

Her voice was soft in his ears, almost guiding which was strange for her. "Maker, if you want to teach the Inquisitor to be rogue - I..." Cullen stopped and rolled his eyes, "I'll be downstairs."

 

"Good luck." Solas chuckled walking behind Cullen as he looked back once more and shook his head.

 

 

 

"They are right you know, I simply won't be able to learn - I am a mage, I -"

 

 

"I can cast spells and picklock...be quiet and look at the lock, use your mind - focus."

 

"I don't even know what I am supposed to be focusing on. How can you be so sure I can do this?"

  
"Call it a hunch."

 

Raven stood over him dropping the linen covered dagger she still held onto the floor. Moving her hands to the side of his face that made Faeyln slightly flinch under the touch of soft touch of her hands. "What are you -"

 

"Shush, listen to me. Hold the lock and focus on my voice."

 

Raven closed her eyes, this had to work...she could feel it. "Picture a door, it's round and unlike you have ever seen. The door stands before you, yet you wish to get to the other side. There is no lock nor handle, become one with the door -- UNLOCK."

 

A click came into Faelyn's hand, his mind felt dizzy and weary. "What did you do?" He asked as he opened his hand and the lock dropped off the chest and onto the floor beneath with a heavy clunk.

 

"I didn't do anything, it was you. It appears you were born under the sign of The Tower... the irony..." 

 

"Please no more castle jokes..." Faeyln shook his head, "So, I have some kind of magical ability that what - unlocks - shit?"

 

 

"How poetic, yes..."

 

 

"But there's no Fade..."

 

 

"And? -- you saw me cast my magic in your land...you just have to learn how to use magicka."

 

 

"Great, It'll be like learning with the Keeper all over again, please don't flog me when I get my fire and ice mixed up."

 

 

"How the fuck did you get fire and ice mixed up?!"

 

 

"I was ten."

 

 

"You are really destined for great things Faeyln Lavellan."

 

 

"Was that a joke or compliment? - it's hard to tell."

 

 

"You work it out, Witbane. Open the chest."

 

Faeyln shook his head as he placed the lockdown on the floor and pulled the lid open. The chest was full of strange things, but something stood out amongst the rest. It was bigger than he thought and so shiny. "Is that -"

 

"Wow, I think so..." It did look exactly the same as the pictures depicted, it had to be. Raven reached into the chest and pulled it out, it was heavier than it looked and far more beautiful than the legends.

   
 

"So...we'll be able to soul trap Corypheus with that? - it'll hold his soul?"

 

 

Raven chuckled as she held the priceless treasure in her hands, "Oh yes, yes indeed."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

* * *

**(Preview of the next chapter in the form of gifs)**

 

****

**Solas trying to learn magic.**

****

**Faeyln being helpful.**

****

**Cullen standing there...going "WTF?"  
**

 

 

~~**\-----** ~~

**Solas' mother.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> =Elvish Translations=
> 
> Diana ithal fra ash masa, Solas. - Stop looking\viewing her butt Solas.  
> Banal- no\never  
> alas shan hahren - dirty old elder.  
> Dirth ar ju' dirasha ma. Tell\talk and I'll hit you.  
> Da'lan - Girl.  
> Ma ane - You are.
> 
> \--


	25. Show me the magic!

 

# Show me the magic!

 

 

 

 

 

"So will you teach me?"

 

"Teach you what exactly?" Raven questioned.

 

"Elfroot?" Faeyln chuckled, "No, the magic of course."

 

Why was he so...him... "Magic, seriously?"

 

"Why not? just the basic's."

 

"Do I look like a teacher?"

 

"No, but if you could just teach Solas and me -"

 

"- Both of you?!"

 

"Please?"

 

Raven scoffed loud, she wasn't some kind of magical teacher... "What will I get out of it?"  
 

"- I have to bribe you to help me now?!"

 

"Oh yeah, I ain't doing shit for free...you already got your freebie for making me come here."

 

"It was your idea."

 

"I didn't expect you to drag me along...or drag me into prison twice, what's next into bed?" 

 

"Will it work?"

 

"For you, no."

 

"...Cullen?"

 

"Seriously, pawning your companions off now?"

 

"I'll take that as a no... Solas?"

 

 

"Fuck no, he looks like one of those hairless cats."

 

  
Faelyn's head slumped into his hands, he couldn't breathe, he was legitimately dying on the inside. "Oh...my...gods, NO! -"  He couldn't breath, his chest felt tight...this girl was giving him a heart attack. Never again will he look at Solas the same way ever again. "How could you? - How am I ever going to act professionally ever again, when all I see is a hairless cat in the room?! HOW DO LIVE WITH YOURSELF?"

 

"Quite easily considering I don't have a hairless pussy for a friend." 

 

That was it, he couldn't look at her anymore...nor hear anything else that came out of her dirty little mouth. "I am just going to pretend I didn't hear that....and go stand over there...downstairs....and....and....not look at Solas..."  Faeyln clenched his jaw as he stood. Raven grabbed the blade on the floor unsheathing the linen wrap and holding it out with her hand, facing the handle towards Faeyln. "Hold on Witbane, you might as well have this...considering you are useless and all."

 

"Ah, gee...Thanks?"

 

The blade was beautiful though, what was it made from? Was it elvish, it certainly looked like it. "Do I want to ask what it is?" Raven paused as she placed it in his hand with a smile on her face. "Elven duh, made from moonstone."

Because everyone would know that...

 

"I am surprised you aren't going to make me pay for it."

 

The leather grip felt odd in hand, but it was elven...not made by his people directly, but all elves had to be connected somehow. "I am making you pay for it, I am slowly taking your sanity." Raven chuckled with rosy cheeks he had never seen on her face before. "Well....yeah, I - Er...suppose....so."

 

"Good, I'll make you a deal then. I'll teach you and hairline challenged friend magic and you teach me that weird language you two keep using behind my back."

 

Did she want to learn Elvish? "Seriously? That's all...just an entire language even I don't fully understand...great, fine....deal, you better be a quick learner."

 

Raven turned slowly as she exited the door with Azura's star in her hand. "I am very fast," She smirked wildly with a grin. Is she sending me signals? His thoughts were going haywire in his head, he could play too..."And other times...slooow?" Faeyln winked managing to keep a straight face the entire time, trying to block out hairless cat Solas.

 

"The only thing slow around here is your brain, Witbane..." Raven slammed the door between them.  

 

Faeyln stood they're alone in the dovah-cats bedroom as he listened to Raven walk down the stairs, the steps becoming lighter until nothing but white noise filled his ears. "Why is there always something in between me and a woman?" He spoke to himself with a mumble...

this time it just so happened to be a door...

  
"But at least I have a sword and the magic ability to unlock....shit.....that's good...right?"

"I am....an....idiot."

 

 

 

 

 

By the time Faeyln had finally gathered the courage to walk downstairs, he firstly saw Cullen sitting in the large dining room opposite Raven and there was Solas...Don't think about cats, don't think about cats, anything but cats.....

 

"Inquisitor!" Solas called holding a purple book in his hand high...

 

Don't think about cats, don't think about cats, NO.......

 

"Hey there.....pussycat."  Faeyln covered his mouth, eyes wide...I didn't just say that....how....it just slipped...

 

"Excuse....me?"

 

Solas' face send everything...his brow was curled and his forehead wrinkled, just like a hairless cat....he couldn't escape, it was the winter palace all over again, this time without Halla's but cats....hairless ones, and evil women....no, more evil women....and the matching uniforms wasn't helping...we all look like some kind of has-been dance crew from Blessed Age....fuck.... Faeyln stood still as he hopelessly fiddled with his robe...

 

"Oh, Er..." Raven began to speak. bless her sweet angle soul, he thought to himself.

 

"We were all going to get code names... Yours was 'Pussycat.' " Raven shrugged.

 

 

Nope, she was a demon...

 

 

"Ah, I think I'll pass, thank you...may we get back to the magical theory?" Solas opened the book and turned the page with a lick of his thumb.

 

So awkward...Faeyln walked slowly over as he began to sit on an empty bench behind Solas, he needed to sit alone...away from everyone.

 

"Okay," Raven clapped her hands together and pursed her lips, "I am going to teach you how to cast a basic fire spell so our junior members don't get it mixed up with ice."

 

"Ice...how?" Solas began to speak as quickly turned in his seat to face Faeyln behind him with a deeper frown than before, "Of course...I..."

 

"Shut up Solas, I was fucking ten...these things happen."

 

Raven slammed her hand down on the table with a loud bang, "NO SWEARING WHILE I AM TEACHING."

 

Faeyln lifted his hands in the air, "Alright, fine...have it your way....but once we get back to Thedas I am sending you all into rifts!"

 

"Enough, do you want to learn or what?!" Raven shook her head, she looked fed up with everyone and everything. "Considering you are wearing the Cullen -"

 

"No, I am going to watch and that's it...don't get any ideas!" Cullen fussed, "Anyways, you shouldn't be practicing in here, you should find a more open area. The Mages in Kinloch Hold trained in open areas never in small places if a spell goes out of hand..."

 

"Alright, good point." Raven tapped her chin with her finger, "The Bards College, out the back...it's just next door, it's night, no one will see us...get your shit we're going, you're coming, Cullen."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was dark and it was chilly outside, but that was a good thing she thought, it meant fewer people would be inclined to go out on strange magical learning trips. "Are you sure no one will see us?" Solas asked looking around as he rubbed his arms through the robe. "Dunno, I suppose it doesn't really matter anyway. There are no laws against practicing magic...except necromancy, but let's forget about that."

 

"Fire is what you two are learning and how to safely use magicka." Raven paced up and down as she pulled her Thalmor hood over her head, she couldn't exactly remember how she first learned magic, it was sort of just a thing that came to her after concentrating really hard.

 

"Cullen, you've watched new mages learn magic, got any helpful tips?" Raven asked.

 

"Er...practice....a lot?" Cullen shrugged his shoulders, he spent most of his time eyeing off Surana in the tower, not watching mages practice magic. "And kind of -- wave your hands around..." He continued clueless.

 

"Oh jeez." Raven slapped her own face with a sign... "How did you both first learn magic?"

 

 

"Meditation and concentration!" Solas crossed his arms in a huff.

"I just really wanted to burn shit." Faeyln coughed and corrected himself. "I mean stuff."

 

 

"Great...maybe consider your past spells but try to draw in energy from your own body and not The Fade, picture yourself holding the fire... Go on."

 

 

She watched on from a distance next to Cullen, Solas seemed to struggle more than Faeyln maybe it was a strong link to The Fade, that now was stripped clean from his body. His palm was out flat in front of him and his eyes closed as he concentrated deeply, but maybe that was the problem. "Solas, you are thinking too hard about it and stop trying to form your magic from your mind...form it in your hand, not your head."

 

"This is ridiculous!" Solas huffed throwing his hand down. "Er, what about trying a ward?" Raven moved back and placed her hand out in front of her body, "Picture you are holding a shield in your mind and cast off from your hand." Her fingers twinkled as she closed her eyes briefly and cast a lesser ward in front of her, causing a ripple of blue magic that faded off into the air when she lowered her hand.

 

Solas clenched his jaw and placed his hand out. He could cast barriers better than anyone in the Inquisition team if anyone could do this it was him. His nose crinkled, his mind swelling with focus....something fizzled, blue.....

 

"What's wrong Solas can't get it up?"  Faeyln snickered behind his back, and now every shred of his focus was now gone, lost and never to return. Solas swag his hand around and slapped Inquisitor Lavellan. "Ouch!" Faeyln hissed as he rubbed his cheek. Solas' face was red and annoyed, his veins bulged and his eyes wide. "YOU MADE ME LOSE FOCUS, I WAS SO CLOSE."

 

Cullen watched on as Raven tried to defuse the tension, there was a lot of yelling and arguing, they were about to wake the entire city. What was so hard about magic anyway, Cullen thought to himself never fully understanding how mages cast magic. He always needed lyrium to cast his abilities but it was never easy, mages always made it look simple. Cullen looked down at his hand as he placed his shield down on the ground. If it was so easy why were Solas and the Inquisitor having so much trouble, it was just a basic fire spell... Surana always used to cast fire, she made it always look so simple how it used to dance on the palm of her hand. His eyes closed, trying to remember her face and her fiery hair that made her freckles appear like stars in an ever-growing dark night. Fire, he could almost feel it...just the way he remembered...he could feel it....it almost felt too real...

 

  
"MAKER, I AM ON FIRE," Cullen yelled, shaking his hand to flick the fire from his palm. Cullen dropped to the ground and began to roll hysterically.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Cullen just needs to hatch three dragon eggs...  
> #Culleesi.  
>    
> *Is dead* X"D
> 
>  


	26. You are the Cabbage to my Stew.

 

# You are the Cabbage to my Stew

 

 

 

  
 

 "Cullen get up off the ground!" Raven hissed, she didn't know whether to be impressed that she taught a man with no magical talent a spell or be pissed that she could teach two former mages anything. Cullen panted breathlessly and he held his chest, "Maker that was close, I....I...." he breathed slowly taking in full breathes, "I could have died!" Raven rolled her eyes, today was going far too long, she needed a drink, several in fact.

 

"Get your mage ass off the ground. Fucking hell Cullen...you can cast magic better than these two idiots." Raven pointed to Faeyln and Solas as they crossed their arms with a frown. "Hey, we aren't idiots... we are just magically challenged," Faeyln mumbled loud as the red mark on his cheek grew redder by the minute, where Solas had slapped him silly. "I am going to sleep." Solas walked off in a huff, his robes swishing as he walked. "I second that," Cullen slowly stood as he bent down to grab his imperial shield from the ground and tightened it in his grasp. "Though Maker, I hope that crazy jester stays downstairs...eh....please don't bring this up to anyone back at Skyhold Inquisitor..."

 

"You should be proud of your magical talent Commander, go rest it off." Faeyln patted his shoulder as he walks off after Solas in a quickened pace, not taking his eyes off his hand the whole time. "Is he going to be okay?" Raven asked Faeyln, she truly had no idea how Cullen would react, though he did seem like a man who bottled everything up. "Dunno, I hope so...hopefully it'll give him some insight on mages, the whole Templar thing always freaked me out, to be honest."

 

"You had a mark on your hand that opened rifts into the fabric of time and reality, and him being an ex-templar freaked you out?"

 

"Yeah, but I had control of the anchor - not that doesn't suck, cause it does... It never freaked me out though, I just simply hated it." Faeyln shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at the two moons that glittered in the sky, his cheek was now becoming more redder with the chill drifting through the air.

 

"If it was me that got some kind of magical mark anchored to me, I would have cut my arm off by now."

 

"Of course you would, I would expect nothing less from you..."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"You wouldn't do anything for others." He said bluntly not taking his eyes off the moons and the stars.

 

"That's because I am smart, you may want to give your life for others, but would they give theirs back to you in return? - would Solas give his life for you? - I don't think so." Raven tsked her tongue. She knew she was selfish, but this was a selfish world and everyone only looked out for themselves, she had learned that at an early age living on the streets as an orphan, no one ever gave a damn.

 

Faeyln smiled as he swags his hands behind his back with a twinkle in his eye, "He has for a matter of fact, many of my friends have risked and given their lives to protect me and our world... Of course, I would do the same for them."

 

"Solas is alive....how did he give his life for you?" What was he talking about...

 

He chuckled as he shook his head with a sway of his long hair, "You not going to believe it but it was time travel... Sick and twisted it was, and everything was green and smelt like cabbage strew...ew." He stuck his stuck his tongue out and scrunched up his nose.

"Corypheus is really fucked up, he needs to be stopped." He said almost too bluntly.

  
"I don't know whether to be more shocked that your future smells like cabbage strew or that Solas would actually give his life for you - yeah, I can't believe that... - The time travel is easier to swallow than a life-saving Dagoth..."

 

"He's not that bad, he came here with me after all...he could have turned back as soon as the Fade was ripped away from us and yet he still stayed, he is a true friend... One I probably don't deserve." Faeyln rubbed his face with the palm of his hand, "His facial expression was worth it though, I keep him young with my endless antics...I know it." 

 

"You keep him stressed, annoyed and I am pretty sure he's going to kill you in your sleep when you get back if you survive that long."

 

"No, Solas doesn't dream with me... Maybe he thinks you are special..." Faeyln chuckled happily to himself. "Plus, if he was to kill me in my dreams, all he would do is make me tranquil...which in turn would just make me overly polite and helpful - and who would want that..." 

 

"Pretty much everyone." Raven shook her head as she began to walk off back to the house as Faeyln slowly followed from behind. The world seemed different at night, maybe it was her inner criminal that loved it or the fact that when the sun goes down all the hidden dangers of the night come out to play; werewolves...vampires...skeletons, Raven counted the oddities in the world as she walked until his voice stopped her in her tracks.

 

"Melena...wait...." He repeated himself in elven and common... "You wanted to learn elvish didn't you?"

 

Raven turned her head briefly as the wind from the chilled air drifted through her hood and danced on the ends of her loose hair, "That would be correct Inquisitor, though I haven't taught you magic yet..."

 

"Era'vun ane ina'lan'ehn...The night is beautiful."  Faeyln smiled like starlight as he spoke in the dusk of night. "Eireth eir'melana era'vun, la'var ar'an vira evune enlea. Cold winter nights, we stand amongst the moon lights."

 

"Yes, well that's that good and all, but whenever am I going to use that in a sentence?" Raven rolled her eyes not slightly amused by his poetic attempt. Faeyln breathed out slowly as he walked beside her, at least it was worth a try... "Ma ane a pala masa, you are a fucking arse...There's some profanity for you, my Keeper will be rolling in her grave when she hears about my vulgar language in our sacred tongue..."

 

"Rules are there to be broken - ina'lan'ehn masa." Raven laughed with a heavy with a chuckle.

 

"Rules are there for a reason...and you just called my butt attractive by the way, but I'll take it as a compliment."

 

 "Rules...pfft." Raven scoffed in a bitter tone, "Your rules are stupid, your land is stupid...people get locked in jail for doing magic and elves get treated like dirt...for Azura knows why... None of it makes sense."

 

"I am not going to argue with you about my land, it is what it is. Why do you have to always be so...angry?"

 

"I am not angry....well, maybe I am." Raven shrugged heated and annoyed, "I try to understand the place where you come from, but I can't - It's just...." She paused, she didn't even understand why she was mad. A torch glowed in the distance it must have been a guard on a midnight patrol.

 

"Faeyln..." She hissed moving closer to him, they needed to get out of site...fast...

 

It was too late, the guard was moving too fast...shit...."Raven...what?" he mumbled as she pushed him into the shadows, "Don't say anything...understand?!" Faeyln nodded his head as pulled his hood over his face and watched her move forward into the light.

 

"Elf, what are you doing out so late at night?!" his torch burned so brightly it stung her eyes yet the heat it radiated was more than pleasant. "Important business, what else would expect human?!" she hissed loud trying to speak with a authority, one that Faeyln easily faked.

 

The guard didn't respond, he simply moved his torch to the side lighting up where Faeyln was standing. "Are you trying to hide, I can see you as plain as day. Come closer."

 

Faeyln moved closer, the light illuminated his pale skin and the vallaslin that embroiled his chin and forehead. "Where are you two Thalmor from and why are you walking the streets at night?"

 

"We hail from Valenwood and for what we are doing, that is our business alone." Raven scoffed, but he wasn't talking to her, no...he was asking Faeyln. "Ha, need a woman to answer your questions now or do you prefer to hide behind a woman's skirts?"

 

 "No," He spoke up, his voice almost dominating until he finished his sentence... "I am Inquisitor -Er...Lavellan."

 

Oh-my-gods.....Raven clenched her hands tight with the urge of covering her face, he was such an idiot...

 

"Inquisitor, mph...  What is that some fancy elven bootlicker?"

 

"Excuse me? Faeyln mumbled as the guard suddenly coughed as he moved his torch back from his face. Someone was standing behind them...

 

 

Someone very tall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has now been read over a thousand times... I have physically disappointed over a thousand people... yikes... 
> 
> I swear this story will get more interesting soon... for someone who has no talents nor writing skills, I am trying... XD


	27. Little Miss Rule Breaker.

 

 

# Little Miss Rule Breaker.

 

 

 

 

  
 

 "Ahem..."

 

Raven felt a hand grasp her shoulder, it's tight - it pinches as it pushes her to the side. "By what authority do you have guard to be interrogating my own?!" The guard takes a step back, his boots crunch against the path as he moves, the smell of leather fills her nose than lavender and nightshade. "As you were, excuse me." The guard lowers his torch as he begins to move away.  Who was behind them, who was there own and why would the guard be scared of them...

 

Raven moved to the side, the hand still remained on her shoulder. A hand that glistened with a warm shade of honey and hair that swayed over his shoulders that was the color of winter snow. "Uhm...." Nothing could come out of her mouth for his eyes engorged her words. "Valenwood you said you were from, yes? - that's an awfully long trip...come you must be very tired." his eyes darted towards Faeyln, searching...seeking...what was he looking for?

 

"Yes, indeed it was." Raven swallowed in her throat, he was a male Altmer, the one that ordered the execution of the Nord the day they entered the city - what was his name? - O something... He was Head Justiciar or something similar... "Mhm..." The Altmer mumbled as he walked behind them, keeping Faeyln and Raven into line as he walked towering over from behind. "What was this Inquisitor nonsense I heard that dimwitted Nord talking about?" He asked as his hand still pinched her shoulder as they moved, "The guard misheard, Lavellan is an integrator, not an Inquisitor... Too much mead obviously, you know what humans are like."   

 

"Are you trying to tell me something I already know little mer? - you would do well not to speak to me of things you are too young to understand, I know what man is like, better than you can perceive."

 

"Er, yes...of course, forgive us Head Justiciar." Faeyln looked to Raven as she spoke his title, taking in what information he could. "So what brings you here to Solitude?" Faeyln asked closing his eyes and trying to remember what city they were in. "Mhm, odd question... My last station was in Markarth, a stingy little hole full of half breeds." He said sternly as they walked higher and higher through the main path of Solitude. "Ah, of course..." Raven paused as she coughed in her throat, where was this man taking them... "So, where are we going?" She asked as casually as possible, having absolutely no idea where they were heading considering it was her first time in Solitude.

 

"The Embassy where else?" His hand pushed Raven with a nudge as she knocked elbows with Faeyln walking up the winding stairs to the battlements that reminded her of Skyhold. "Just up here - that door there...yes..." Raven took the doorknob and swag the door open, it was bright and warm and more lavish than anticipated. Scarlet carpets covered the polished stone floors with a fancy dining table was set, as silver goblets and bowls of freshly picked apples sat in the center and her all-time favorite...sweetrolls.

 

"A home away from home, isn't it?" He slammed the door behind them making Faeyln and Raven jump with a jolt. "Er..." Faeyln began to speak as the Altmer's stare silenced his words into nothing but the white noise. "Now let me introduce myself, I am as you already stated 'Head Justiciar,' Ondolemar. Now we have got that out of the way, I am going to ask who you are and you're not going to lie to me, because I did not get to where I am by falling to lies by imposters such as yourselves. 

 

"I..." Raven started to speak as she watched Ondolemar poured himself sliver goblet of spiced wine as he took a seat on the fine velvet chair by the table. "You are either a thief or an assassin the way you hold yourself," Ondolemar stated as he held the fine silver cup to his mouth as he said his judgment. "Yes," she confirmed straightening her back almost stiff. "And him? - the one obviously dimwitted enough to think he could get away with imposing as a high ranking Thalmor agent with facial tattoo's, don't make me laugh." Ondolemar shook his head with a smirk as he happily sipped on his wine without a care in the world.

 

"I am from Valenwood, I met..." Raven turned to Faeyln who looked nearly as nervous as she felt. She couldn't lie to Ondolemar, but that didn't mean she had to say the whole truth..."Lavellan, on my travels from Solstheim - for a time being he took me as his prisoner."

 

"Prisoner...Ha..."  Ondolemar half chuckled as he dropped his cup to the table, "I would have done the exact same thing." He said while smiling eerily, "Solstheim, what was in Solstheim that isn't in Morrowind...why go there?" He asked, would his questions never end. "I worked for a man named Neloth for a time being, of..."

 

"House Telvanni...mph?" He spoke over the top of her before she could finish, "I thought they were all dead, such a shame... Ah, they'll be sweeping dust from their mushrooms in Sadrith Mora till the ends of their days..." He chuckled softly as his hand gestured to the seats in front of him at the table. "Come, sit... Both of you...now."

 

Raven nudged Faeyln forward for him to take a seat, he looked back briefly as he took a right-hand seat, slowly dragging out his chair and sitting on it as he pushed his hood down from his face. Ondolemar watched Raven's movements, his eyes like piercing daggers that dug deep within her nerves.  "Do you know anything about..." Raven paused and took a deep breath, she had no idea why she was asking. "Know about what?"

 

"Sheogorath?"

 

"The Daedric Prince of Madness? - dear me, is someone considering someone naughty with Daedra worship?"

 

"No." Raven shuffled in her seat as she watched Faeyln move his hair behind his ear uncomfortable with this whole situation. "I...I was told recently, that Umbra the legendary sword was in the possession of the Daedric Prince...and I was just wondering...."

 

"Stop," He raised a finger from his goblet, "Where did you learn this information...that is well-hidden knowledge you have come across."

 

"Barbas," Raven admitted.

 

She was expecting him to get mad by that confession, to yell or to turn red from fury but Ondolemar simply chuckled as stood, dropping his silver cup to the table with a clunk. "First I catch you imposing as a Thalmor agent then I find out that you are associating with Daedra worship and now you admit to summoning Daedra...dear me, you are quite the little rule breaker aren't you?"

 

Faeyln smiles from across the table, his fist clenched to his chin with a wide smile that says an obvious, 'I told you so.' Raven restrains herself, she knows she's a second away from grabbing an apple from the table and throwing it at him, it would be so easy. "So I have been told before," Raven managed to say with her anger overpowering her emotions. "Though I couldn't care less about the Daedra themselves, I was only interested in the relics."

 

"The Artifacts, yes? - then you would well to know Sheogorath owns a few of the lost artifacts; the Ring of Khajiit,

Gray Cowl of Nocturnal, Umbra and of course his own creation the Wabbajack."

 

"Wait..." Raven couldn't believe his words, she was almost speechless. "Are you trying to tell me the greatest thief alive was the one and only Hero of Kvatch?- Sheogorath is the Grey Fox? -- I...what?!" 

 

"Who's the Grey Fox?!" Faeyln asked having no idea what they were talking about.

 

Ondolemar rolled his eyes and curled his lip, "You do not choose your company wisely do you little mer? - why did you let yourself be engaged by this one? - he is obviously young, experienced - or were you just hoping to steal something from him, his maidenhood perhaps?" He laughed delighted by his own humor.

 

Faeyln narrowed his eyes, utterly unimpressed by the Altmer's guests. "I am here you know...listening...and I am not exactly helpless, I can unlock things...with my mind..." his smile widened towards the tall elf in front of him.    

  

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor little Faeyln... Things will get better for him one day...
> 
> \--
> 
> Solitude is such a weird place, if you go fully exploring onto roof tops you'll find that many have two elven arrows and one health potion...and there's doors that lead to nowhere *Que the spooky music*
> 
> I honestly have no idea why the arrows are there though... I can't see it being anything to do with the DB quest or any other. *Shrugs*


	28. I Hate Elves. -

 

 

 

# I Hate Elves. -

 

 

 

 

 

  
 Silence is what filled his ears. Ondolemar smiled with a wicked grin that was almost sinister in a way.  Faelyn's hand reached for the bottle in the center of the table, screw decency...fuck them...fuck everything... His fingers wrap around the neck of the bottle holding it tight as he took a careless swig from the wine....it burns...his throat feels on fire...an eye twitches...swallow...just swallow... Faeyln gulps it down as he rolls his head back, it was worse than whatever The Iron Bull had given him after his first dragon, ten times worse. His eyes closed as he licks his lips, that was a bad idea.

 

Raven's eyes glisten, she watches with a smirk on her face...judging, always judging. "What?!" The bottle slams down on the table with a thud. Faeyln leaned forward on his chair as Ondolemar pulls him back with two hands on his shoulders, one hand slipped forward from his shoulder, up his neck, and onto his check. Ondolemar's hands were soft, almost like melted butter. Eyes stare down, a shade of green unlike his own, but a shade that reminds him of the Emerald Graves on a cold stormy day. His finger was boney, cold to the touch as it traced his ivory skin and the marks of the vallaslin.

 

"That's very irregular...not ink..." Ondolemar paused with his finger centered to Faelyn's scalp. "How old are you?" He blinked his eyes as his head pulled forward away from his grasp but Ondolemar's fingers still lingered within his hair. "I turned twenty-five this year, why...afraid I am not of the drinking age?"

 

"Your naivety makes that clear. But no, you have a certain...aura about you, that I can not quite place. -"

 

"- It's my flirtivity - one could say it's magicka." Faeyln winked with a smile.

 

Raven's head slouched as she pinched the bridge of her nose with a finger and thumb with a heavy sign. Ondolemar hands parted his shoulders and rubbed together as he curled his lip and frowned his brow. "Out now, wait outside like a good little boy... I need to speak to your prisoner...alone."

 

Alone, what did he need to do alone?

 

Oh....ohh...OH...ew.. ...

 

Faelyn's feet slowly stood, watching her face as she looked away - there was no way she would -- Would she?   -- No... -- His fingers grasped the neck of the bottle as the back of his boot pushed the chair back into the table. "Fine, I'll wait outside...in the cold...at night...alone..." He muttered under his breath as the door became closer. The doorknob in one hand and the bottle in the other he turned slowly, watching the large blonde elf smirk with a wide smile. Raven wouldn't make eye contact, why would she... "Be quick." was the only thing he could say and less came out as grunt as the door was opened and slammed behind him.

 

It was dark outside and even colder than before, he envied Solas and Cullen right now, probably fast asleep and bundled in furs in front of a nice warm fire. Faeyln seated himself on the chilled stone stairway, the bottle still in his hand he took a sip looking down at his hand where the mark no longer lingered. He thought he would be more happy to see it gone, it was what he always wanted but yet an emptiness still grew within him, an ache that couldn't be quenched with any form of strange magic.

 

His link to Dorian glimmered in his hand, the crystal that was his connection to his land and the only thing that made sense shone with a rhythmic hum. "Dorian... I..." he paused, he was being pathetic as always...just the stupid little Dalish elf from the woods, a tree hugger without his tree or Clan...or family... no one...   

 

"Lavellan...Inquisitor?" His ears rung with the response that he hoped not to hear, now he had to make some kind of excuse to talk to him, otherwise, he'd look like the pathetic loser he was. "Faeyln...are you there...are you okay?"

 

" - yes...no...I don't know... - "

 

" - What's the matter? - "

 

How was he supposed to answer that...

 

   " - I am not really sure...I just feel physical...'eh' - "

 

" - Ah, I see... - "

 

"Yeah."

 

A silence grew between them as he took another sickening sip of whatever this liquor was.

 

 

"Where are the others...is everything going okay? -  Cassandra is growing wilder every day you haven't returned."  

 

 

Faeyln looked down as he dropped the bottle.

 

 

"They are okay, though our magic doesn't work here...kinda...Cullen can use magic, shit...keep that to yourself..." Faeyln paused with a brief dry chuckle. " - Does Cassandra....miss me?"  

 

Why did he ask...his face slumped into his hand like an idiot...

 

 

" - Our own little Templar?! Oh, my... And miss? Ha... She misses yelling at you, that I can tell - please tell me you're not still..."

 

 

"No...Creators...NO..." Faeyln almost choked on his own air. 

 

 

One failed relationship with Cassandra that ended before it started was something no one was ever going to forget.

 

 

" - That's good to hear, it would a shame to inform you that our dear Seeker has moved on, and by moving on, I mean she has decided fictional men are easier and far more romantic...you can blame Varric. -"

 

 

" - Romantic...pfft, I gave her flowers once...shit, what else did she want?! - "

 

 

"Something more than once I presume?"

 

 

"Okay...okay, well you tell me this, how many times has Bull given you flowers, huh?!"

 

 

"We're taking it slow," Dorian muttered softly.

 

 

"HA! - I knew Bull was as hard on the inside as he was on the outside."

 

"You have no idea."

 

"Ew."

 

Dorian laughed on the other end, "You took that out of context...I didn't mean...oh dear..."

 

 

The comment makes him smile and he forgets why he feels sad...

 

 

" - Is Bull still getting your tea mixed up, what was it...the chamomile and the green? - "

 

" - Yes, he is a barbarian. - "

 

 

He laughs with Dorian, it was good to be in the fine company yet Faeyln found himself staring back at the door...wanting...no... He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Can I have some of your advice?"

 

 

" - Of course Inquisitor, though if it's fashion advise...it will always go with the green Lavellan, it is simply your color, it is the only thing Vivienne and I agree on..."

 

 

" - You talk about my fashion with Vivienne?...oh gods... No, it's nothing that simple, though I am sure you would die if you saw what I was wearing right now, no green or - well anything...it's robe and very cultish..." Faeyln chuckled, "But alas, ugh...I wanted to advise on how to make...girls not...hate me? - "

 

 

"Well firstly - ditch the cult robe...and secondly....." Dorian paused, "Really, you asking ME for advice on how to get a woman to court you...seriously Inquisitor?!" 

 

 

"I never said anything to do with courting Dorian...Creators, it's not like I can go asking Solas - He's like...How old is he? - I dunno fifty and into necrophilia - you can't let that happen to me!"

 

 

"Oh, dear...ah...hold on, I'll..." Dorian paused, "Sera...come here! Chop, chop...hurry up girl..."

 

 

"WHAT?! STOP...SERA...NO...NO...WHAT?!"

 

 

"Oh it'll be fine Inquisitor, Sera knows these things..." Dorian's voice got louder and echoed into the distance, sounding if he was sitting in the library. "Come now girl, this a life, and death situation...Literally!  

 

 

 

Faeyln clenched his jaw as he watched the crystal hum in his hand with the loud clunks of footsteps, Dorian was going to be the death of him.

 

"FAE! ...Can you hear me on this magical doodad? - Inquizzie?!"

 

"Yes."

 

Unfortunately.

Sera was doomed to be his little sister he never wanted.

 

 

"So, what's the matter?" She asked as Dorian spoke in the background,

"Girl problems."

  
"... NO."

 

"What...are you a girl there or something?!"

 

 

"No, Sera...I am not a girl."

 

"OOOH...oh...those kinda problems...ah...why are you guys asking me?" 

 

 

"Well, he was asking me," Dorian spoke.

 

"You...HA! Someone's disparate..." Sera giggled with glee. "Though none of my tips would help you Fae, that is unless you are a girl..."

 

 

"Well, I am not a girl...so thank you...I will be fine..."

 

"But if you were Fae...we'd all understand..."

 

 

"Ah...thanks?"

 

 

"You're welcome Fae...you just keep swinging those hips and showing those tits."

 

 

"Righto than..." Faeyln coughed awkwardly waiting for Dorian to be alone again.

 

 

 

"Ahem...well sorry about that, I did truly think she was going to suggest something helpful...or maybe... Er, forget it - Can you just try being yourself? - Or just take charge of the moment, Inquisitor."

 

 

 

Take charge? - take...charge...I can do that...I can..

 

 

"Thank you Dorian...I...I...Er....pray for me...."

 

 

"Will do Inquisitor, will do!"

 

 

 

The crystal went dark as Faeyln slowly stood, he grabbed the wine bottle in hand as knees slowly ached from the bend. A loud bang came from inside in the room, odd... He knocked on the door, no one answered, the door handle wouldn't budge...something was defiantly off...

 

   
 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I'll give Solas some credit...at least necrophilia is easy and drama free... Souless ain't got no time for your souls bruh.


	29. - And I Hate You.

#  - And I Hate You.

 

 

 

 

  
   
"Why did you have to do that?" Raven asked as she watched Ondolemar lock the door behind Faeyln. Nothing made sense, what was happening...why did he need her alone. Raven stood from her chair, instincts kicking in as she moved back against the wall, what did Ondolemar what from her? - Information? - he defiantly didn't desire her company, no Thalmor Altmer would ever consider laying ill-bred Bosmer, mer or not. "I thought you would prefer to speak alone, that's all...you wouldn't want any innocent ears listening in ...mph?"

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" He wanted something, he had too...but what was it, she didn't trust him at all and not just because he was a Thalmor but for being ultimately shady. "You're an assassin, yes? That makes two in the city right now..." Two fingers he lifted in the air, "One being insane mad imperial with a fetish for corpses... And you..."   Ondolemar swayed forward holding but one finger as he placed it upon her chin. Raven pushed his hand away with a slap of her hand, "What's it to you, like you give a shit if I kill a bunch of humans in my spare time... You do the exact same thing, the only difference is you get paid a fuck-tone more."

 

"Exactly little mer, but I do happen to care and quite a lot - as it happens I was the one who ordered the contract for an assassin, so let me ask you...is that why you are here?!"

 

 

Shit...seriously?

 

 

"It was on my to-do list," Raven hissed, "Why the fuck do you even what an assassin? - The Thalmor are using The Brotherhood now - seriously...what the fuc--"

 

"Shush." his hand flickered waving all too simple muffle spell. "It does seem quite frowned upon doesn't it? Ah well..." Ondolemar curled his lip as he brushed his long hair from his face as it dangled over his eyes from looking down, "You get paid and I get less paperwork, everyone wins..."

 

Raven tried to speak but only a whisper came from her lips, "Except for the poor sob you want dead..."

 

"Of course...but no one will miss him, he's outlived his usefulness now."

 

"And..." Her voice cracks and the spell wears thin..."Who is this Tullius?!"

 

"A pawn that needs to be removed from the board..."

 

"You're fucking insane if you think I'll be doing work for the Thalmor!" Raven pushed Ondolemar back with no success, he was twice her size and at least triple her age. His hands grabbed her slamming her against the wall with a swift force that was easily overpowering. "You will...or you will know the wrath of the Aldmeri Dominion, and you wouldn't want that would you little mer?"

 

Her feet dangled in the air and hands held back, magic would be no use and her bow was unreachable. A loud knock banged on the door as Faeyln called her name, knocking the door again with an even louder bang. "He's alerting the guards." Raven laughed as Ondolemar turned his head facing the door. His head turned as Raven pushed with all her strength and all of what little that remand, kicking Ondolemar in the stomach pushing him back with a stumble.

 

A single arrow was grasped, as she turned it in her hand before lashing out Ondolemar. His hand raised unleashing a wave of ice that Raven managed to ward off, but not enough to shield her from being pushed back intense force. Raven's feet darted towards the table as she tossed it over, the candles toppling over with the silverware as she grabbed an apple, pegging it at the large Altmer hitting him square in the chest with the power to make him grunt. "Throwing apples are we now? What kind of assassin are you?!" He hissed as she ducked behind the table.

 

"The sexy alive kind?" She laughed from behind the table holding her arrow in her left hand waiting for him to move closer as she awaited, shrouded and hidden purple haze of magic. "We'll just have to change that won't we..." He paused as his feet crunched closer over the broken glass from the table, all while Faelyn's voice still rang in her ears from outside with his consisted banging...

 

His feet crunched louder as he neared and the room grew cold and dark as the candles quenched their flame. "Come on, come out...we can still talk this out..." He said in a coy voice that stung her ears and made her heart race within her chest. "You know, the Thalmor reticently had a very old relic go missing on the roads, I suppose you don't know anything about that would you?" Her heart rate fastened as adrenaline pumped through her blood. "Let me guess, your mother?" Raven chuckled as she crawled on her hands and knees softly to the other side of the table. "No, not my mother." His voice hissed back.

 

 

Faeyln would have laughed...

 

His banging had stopped, he could unlock it...he just had to focus, he could...  Ondolemar peered over the table his face looking down, his smirk shimmering on his face and his eyes wide with a hand full of ice... "See we can talk about this..." Talking....he didn't want to talk... Raven stumbled back as she kicked the table towards him as her cloaking spell started ware of - he could see her - and it wasn't good.

 

His hands grasped her, clenching her tight, an elbow under neck as he pulled her from the ground...the arrow still in her hand... Faeyln...   

 

 

Raven gasped for air as her right hand clawed at Ondolemar's elbow - she could see his outline - his shadow... "...Witbane...."

 

"Er...put the little lady down...okay?!"  He spoke as Ondolemar chuckled as his elbow grew tighter around her neck as her feet tried kicking out whilst grasping for a breath of air.  "He -- has...magic... Unlike-- anything....tears- into---oblivion--"

 

"I can? - I mean... I CAN." Faeyln corrected himself as he stepped forward from the dark, the wind howling from behind his back and the door that swag open with crashing of the chilled breeze. "I am the Herald of -Sithis... And I will send you straight the void, by tearing you into OBLIVION!"     

 

"Ha, you expect me to believe in that?! Herald of Sithis?" Ondolemar chuckled again darkly as Raven drove the arrow from her hand deep into his thigh causing him to let go, dropping to the ground with a thud. He yelled with a hiss as he clenched his leg, the arrow was deep, the jagged dragon-bone arrowhead placed within bone and muscle he could not pull it out from to heal. Faeyln stepped forward holding the wine bottle in hand and smashed it over Ondolemar head, shattering glass and knocking him out onto the floor, face first onto the rug. "Shit...I...I..."

 

Raven clenched Faelyn's arm looking down at the Head Justiciar who had just been glassed over the head. "Wow...I never thought you had that in you..."

 

"I...shit, did you see that?! THAT WAS SO COOL." Faeyln smiled the broken bottle still in his hand, "I mean-- are you alright?" Raven pursed her lips as she clenched the soreness of her throat, "Yeah - I'll be fine...Ondolemar on the hand..." She kicked with her boot, "Fuck you."

 

"Come on...we need to get out -- of --- here...shit." Faeyln stopped as he turned, Raven's hand still clenched around his arm. Two guards stood in the doorway head to toe in metal plate and swords ready in their hands.

 

"You two are under arrest for trespassing and--- is that murder?!" A guard moved forward spotting the Justiciar who laid in a small pool of blood. His hands tossed the Altmer over with fingers checking for a pulse, "Attempted murder, a shame too." The guard laughed at the other.

 

"He did it!" Raven yelled as Faeyln dropped the smashed bottle to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go directly to jail.  
> Do not pass go.
> 
> Do not collect $200.


	30. Bunk Buddies.

 

 

# Bunk Buddies.

 

 

 

 When the cage door closed everything sunk in. It was self-defense how was it attempted murder... Anyway, he was a total bitch, that fucker had it coming. Faeyln rattled the cell bars annoyed, angry, frustrated. The guards had taken everything; his crystal linked to Dorian, his sword even the clothes off his back replaced with this prison garb. Raven didn't seem to care in the slightest.

 

"This a swanky cell we have here Inquisitor, these straw mattresses are only half infested with fleas... You can have the top bunk, I hate climbing..." Raven sat on her bed with her head down on the pillow and her feet against the wall, "Just when I thought my prison days were over..."

 

Faeyln paced through the cell, his hand to his brow he paced faster and more annoyed. "Cullen...Solas... They are going to be freaking out! You have no idea...I..." He stopped brushing his hair behind his ear and rolling his head back. "You can get us out, you can - you need to get us out." 

 

 

"I could, but I won't." Raven calmly spoke.

 

"Why not?! You broke out of the Inquisitions jail easy enough."

 

 "You really need to calm down... It was only attempted murder remember?"

 

"Thank you, thank you so fucking much for bringing that up...everything so much easier now."

 

 

"Stand, over by the wall." A guard dressed red came to the cell door with a clipboard in hand. Raven swag her legs over the bed and dragged Faeyln over with her as she leaned against the wall clenching her jaw. "So...what is?"

 

The guard coughed as he turned the notebook page over as he looked to Raven with a frown that almost said everything, they knew who she was and they were about to let them go anytime soon. "I see you've been - busy racking up bounties were ever you go Bosmer, never in my life have I seen such a -"

 

"Oh shucks, you're making me blush...go on, just tell me!" Raven flicked her hand being overly sarcastic.

 

"Very well, whatever you call yourself nowadays...  You are charged with; eighteen counts of armed robbery, six counts of burglary, forgery, twelve counts of assault, thirty-five counts of first-degree murder, one count attempted murder and finally three counts of turning into a werewolf within city grounds..."

 

"Well someone's been creative, I'll give them that... What's the jurisdiction on murder again?"

 

" - There is none."

 

"Shit - I...I'll have you know I have a twin sister, we have the same fingerprints!"

 

"Yeah...yeah... And you pretty boy with tats, you have one case attempted murder on a high ranking Thalmor Justiciar, don't expect to be getting out anytime soon..."

 

"What about meeee?!" Raven asked.

 

"You'll be getting out in a week."

 

"Shit, seriously?"

 

"Yeah, in a bag." He laughed as he walked away folder in hand.

 

"Shit."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three counts of turning into a werewolf, that's deep.


	31. Even the Prettiest Flowers Die in the Dark.

 

 

# Even the Prettiest Flowers Die in the Dark.

 

 

## DAY 1.

 

 

 

  
 

   
 

The next morning came quicker than the last, sleep was a nightmare full of endless tossing and turning, but still nowhere near as bad as some prisons Raven had been in. Faeyln laid awake, he couldn't sleep knowing Solas and Cullen were freaking out somewhere probably thinking Raven had kidnapped him for ransom money, it wasn't exactly out of character for her. The air was moist and the air thin within the dark shadows of the cell making everything feel damp. Rodents scurried from one part of the cell to the next with the sounds of their little pitter-pattering of feet and claws that made Faelyn's skin crawl.

 

"Are you awake?" Raven kicked her feet up making his thin mattress ripple with a wave under the presser of her feet. "Yeah, obviously," he replied glumly as he tossed with his hands supporting his head from the lumps and bumps of the bedding, that made sleeping in aravel's feel like a cloud. "We should share prison stories you know, it the light of the current events..." She said lightly with a flutter of voice that almost seemed upbeat for a girl who only had six days left before being carted off in a bag.

 

"I never been to prison before, unless you count the time I was put in shackles by the Inquisition when they thought I killed their Divine, that was pretty intense...well before the Inquisition was the Inquisition but whatever."

 

 

"And...did you kill her?"

 

"No - Corypheus did..."

 

"Corypheus is such a cliché evil name..."

 

" - I know right. Sometimes Corypheus screams like a parakeet too, it's really confusing."  

 

That does sound confusing, she thought within her head, but everything from his land was confusing and hardly anything made sense. Time drifted for moments at a time while Faeyln mumbled on about Corypheus, the Blight and entering the Fade. Raven mumbled alone but hardly any of what he said made the slightest of senses, he really had lived a crazy life.

 

 

"Who was the first person you killed and how old were you?"

 

"Seriously?" Faeyln asked not amused, "A Templar in the Hinterlands when I was twenty-four, I had no choice... What about you, huh?"

 

"Twelve I was, playing with fireballs and I threw one at someone, I am pretty sure they died...I could be wrong...but I am like nine-five percent sure... I was little shit back then."

 

"You are a fucking psychopath, you know that right? - and you still are a little shit."

 

 

Raven chuckled from down below, while he enjoyed listening to her laugh...even if she was a complete psychopath.

 

* * *

 

 

 

## DAY 2.

 

 

  
   
 

Another day past, this time slower. Faeyln walked the room up and down, his bare feet slapping against the cold stone as Raven watched on from the comfort of her horrid bed. "Trying to stay fit? - thirty or forty years isn't long for an elf if it makes you feel any better." Her words meant no comfit to him, he may thirty or forty years here but his own land didn't. "It doesn't help, no." No matter how much he tried to convince Raven to help him break out, her answer was always no, did she want to die? - that was nothing like her...

   
"What was your mother like?" Raven asked softly.

   
Faeyln stopped pacing and stood quietly, shocked by her question, no one had ever asked him about his parents other than what was necessary. His mind wondered as his body stood still, back to home, true home, neither here or the Inquisition but the forests of the Free Marchers. "Why do you want to know about my mother?" Why would she want to know, what would she get out of it?

 

"Dunno, just curious."

 

"She was a lovely woman from what I remember, she died when I was young. Kirkwall she came from originally but she joined the Dalish as a flat ear when she met a passing clan. My mother like me was a mage, I am guessing that's why they let her join, they often took in apostates - though only a few mages can be taken in at a time. As I said before, she died when I was young, I didn't know my father... I am pretty sure no one had any idea who my father was." Faeyln smiled as he shrugged with a light chuckle. "I was raised by other members of my clan and my Keeper, I didn't miss out on much."

 

"What's a Keeper?" Raven asked, "Is that some kind of sex dungeon master, or something?"

 

Faeyln raised a brow, "I wish..." He shook his head totally bewildered by this girl. "She was a cranky old woman with a staff."

 

"Mhm...did she have whips?"

 

"No."

 

"- Bondage? -"

 

"No."

 

"- A skin-tight leather outfit? -"

 

"NO, she wasn't that kind of Keeper!"

 

"Damn... I had one once..."

 

"No...wait....what?!"

 

 

* * *

 

 

## DAY 3.

 

 

 

  
 

Faeyln didn't move from bed that morning, his body felt stiff, warn and weak though Raven's upbeat humor kept him going through the day it was still hard, even with her endless questions - soon he would be alone, wouldn't he? - She'd be taken from her cell and never return, how could she lay there and let that happen, why would she give up on life when she had so much to live for. She didn't have to stay here, she could return with him - he could protect her in Thedas, for what time he had left...he could.

 

"I don't...I don't want you to die...please." He whispered from his top bunk, looking away from her - he couldn't, he had already lost so much getting where he was... Faeyln knew he wasn't a good friend, he had his moments...his ups and downs and anger he could barely control under endless stress, which was no excuse...he knew...

 

"Oh please...like you care Faeyln, honesty...give it up. I know I have... I could get out of here and be free and something would still come after me in the end and kill me... I am dead in here as much as I am out there, at least I have control over when in here..."

 

"I do care...but you're just giving up...and it's stupid." He turned over to face her as he began to sit up, as he dragged his body up with his hands. "You're giving up." She was, the way she looked and acted, she had totally given up on everything. Her hair flowed over her shoulders as she sat with her back to the cell wall, her knees to her chest and a smug of dirt on her nose where her war paint used to cover her pale golden cheeks. "You're...you are being weak." 

 

"Maybe I want to be weak? - ever consider that...sometimes I need rescuing too." Her head slumped between her knees, tired and drained she huddled in a ball on the floor of the dank cell and he couldn't do anything - He couldn't do anything, why was he so useless.  

 

"Look Raven...I am not so good with words - maybe try insulting me, it always cheers you up?" Her head drifted from her knees as she gently shook her head with a heavy sigh. "Shut up, Witbane..."

 

"See - look you smiled, I saw that..."

 

Raven tilted her head, "I didn't smile..."

 

"You suuuuure? - I am pretty sure I saw a smile."

 

 

Raven glared without saying a word as a single strand of her hair graced over pale bright eyes.

 

 

"What's your favorite flower?" Faeyln asked not exacting to get a response.

 

"Self-rising" She mumbled with her face covered, "It's better for baking."

 

 

Even if she didn't smile, it made him smile...

 

 

"Seriously? I was talking about...you know the pretty kind... Not the stuff you make cakes with."

 

"Maybe I prefer cakes."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am quite happy with this chapter and Raven's character involving.
> 
> She's just a fun loving, casual psychopath who loves cakes...and I find that very relatable.
> 
>  


	32. Time Keeps on Turning.

 

# Time Keeps on Turning.

 

 

 

 

 

  
   
 

 

It was cold in the cell but nowhere near unpleasant. The air flowed down within the gaps of the bars that smelt stagnate with a subtle moister, maybe it was raining outside - neither could tell. Night dawned on the horizon, bars rattled with anger and frustration, guards where impatient and inmates even more so. A sliver of cheese and dried bread was skidded across the ground and under the bars, yesterday it was some strange looking brown broth and the day before something neither could identify. Raven refused to eat, nothing was likely going to soothe her hunger any time soon or her thirst for fresh air, yet she told herself she belonged down here in her moments of weakness. Faeyln often laid in bed amongst his higher bunk counting the stones in the ceiling, dreaming of trees already, and fearing the unknown, but he knew he would change her mind, it was just a matter of time.

 

He knew Cassandra was going to kill him when she found out he had been in jail...again. He had already been close to being executed once, how many times would he escape death by nearly an inch - at least Varric would get himself a good laugh out of it, The Inquisitor and The Herald of Andraste found some new land and immediately found himself in trouble, and in a life threating situation. When did it begin... Faeyln Lavellan's mind wondered, drifted and searched through memories in the back of his mind. The Temple of Sacred Ashes, why did he have to go - why did Keeper Deshanna ask for him to go - anyone could of, he could have protected his clan, it was his job as First. Wycome is where they died, maybe all of them, perhaps not, Faeyln had no idea and maybe didn't want to know.

 

His head shifted as he turned his body over, watching Raven sprawl herself out of the filthy ground, the dirt didn't seem to bother her at all. Her muscles flexed as she stretched out her slider yet toned sun-kissed figure, Raven's back arched as she lifted her knees and pushed her stomach in the air, one leg lifted in the air whilst rest of her body moved with her, flipping gracefully on her feet without effort. Raven was a true curiosity, as much as she was strange she was also familiar and yet unlike anything he had ever seen. Her legs were long but her body small, she stood only too his brow yet Raven moved as if she stood with the clouds and her hands guided the grace of rain. Eyes fluttered, large and bright of a color that reminded him of freshwater lakes, cool and chilled Faeyln found himself submerged in her deep pools.

 

Her hair was golden like the sun, swaying over her shoulders still stained at the ends from Coles craft. It was tied back behind her head, thick and twisted into a braid that looked beautifully elven, with strands that dangled in front of her eyes, and her speckled rosy cheeks. Faeyln watched Raven move as she traced her fingers over the grooves of the stones of the cell walls, what was her favorite color? - What did she enjoy besides committing felonies? -- there had to be more to this girl...this strange woman, she hid so much of herself behind unbreakable walls - why?   

 

"You're staring again Faeyln, you know I don't like being watched," Raven spoke, her words soft and fluid like warm milk. Her head turned away, eyes to the wall, she slowly made her way back to her bed as she blew out the candle the gave the only light to the room, now only darkness lingered between them. "There's not much else to look at in here, forgive me," Faeyln mumbled as he rubbed his weary eyes with ends of his callused hands.  Hands once overused, setting up aravels, hands that swag a staff, hands that closed rifts and now held nothing...he held nothing but regret in his palms.

 

Faeyln was starting to miss her questions that slowly started to die throughout the day, from what started as jest maybe some sass attitude that grew into something deep and meaningful. She asked of the past, memories, family, dreams - things he never imaged she would talk about, maybe she wasn't just some mindless killing psychopath, but he had to remind himself that she still was, no matter how she looked or how she talked, Raven would always be murderer and a thief.

 

 -

 

Family is what he desired to ask, he knew she was an orphan from the first day they had met but was there anything else -  did she ever seek her parentage, does she crave family as he did? - questions were left unspoken and unasked, for if she stayed in here there would be no answer. "Raven," the words were dry when they left his mouth, cracked and broken they killed the white silence.

 

 "Yes?" Raven simply replied unsure of why he spoke in the dark, he should be sleeping. "I -" his voice paused above her as he questioned himself, doubting his own thoughts running through his mind. "What is it? - what's wrong now?" was it a nightmare - no, this whole place was a nightmare, perhaps he was lonely - Raven wasn't exactly the best of the company, little did she ever travel in pairs. " - You asked me of my mother, I was just wondering if -"

 

"I know what you're going to ask and it's a no - I was born during the war like I said, many people were the same as I was. I have no idea of my origins or my parents and it doesn't bother me, it never did Faeyln." - But was that the truth? She often questioned her own words and her thoughts, maybe she did what to know - yet something was best left unknown and unsaid.

 

"So, you never tried looking for them?"

 

"No, they are most likely dead."

 

Most likely, wasn't a sure answer but he wasn't about to pester her anymore on the topic, he had his response even if it was only half answered.

 

"What about -"

 

"No," She argued without letting him finish, she was in no mood for questions tonight, the silence she sort. Raven sat up on her bed, knees to her chest, he had disturbed her tranquil peace as she twirled her fingers, fire engulfing the tips making a small amount of amber light. "What's your big deal with family anyway?" She asked with a hiss if she couldn't have silence she could at least have some kind of knowledge or understating.

 

"So now you want to talk? -" Faeyln paused, her mood swings were like whiplash. "I grew up in a Clan, they were my family and I miss them greatly - they may be gone but I still remain. I am the last Lavellan."

 

"And?"

 

"Don't worry, you won't understand." Faeyln huffed as he felt over his face, tired and cold, a blanket or a pillow would make all the difference. "I want you to get us out of here, I don't care about your pride or whatever your doing, we need to leave - so get over it."

 

 

The room fell silent.

 

 

Then he heard shuffling, a mattress moving, weight shifting - something grabbed his legs with a pull. "What the fuck?" Faeyln swore with a hushed tone, a whisper full of spite. "I am going to kill you," Raven growled in the darkness. He couldn't see anything except black as she grasped his legs with a pull, he kicked out - he didn't mean too but it didn't stop her. "Shit, what's gotten' into you?" 

 

"You," She argues, climbing on top of his bunk with a leap and a pull. Her nails dig deep, clawing at his legs - pulling at his waist as he tries to push her off. His hands grip her, trying to restrain her weight but Raven had the upper hand, her strength pushing his shoulders down as she covered his mouth with what seemed like fabric. His teeth bit at the cloth as he licked his lips confused, "I can still breath you know, quite well too." He spoke with his mouth covered as she hissed annoyed at her holey prison trousers. She was the worst assassin ever, how could she not kill one stupid elf by suffocation.    

 

"If you are done trying to kill me, you can get off now." Faeyln signed heavy pushed down by this girl that was upon him. Her hands pushed down with a force upon his chest, for such a little woman she had a great strength to her - if they were ever to battle in his own land, it would of be a hell of a fight. "I am not done," Raven argued.

 

What did she mean by that, how else could she possibly try to murder him in his own bed? His hands dropped as her knees moved each to one side - his hands brushed the bare skin of her thighs, they were soft, slender and she wasn't wearing any pants...typical. "Raven please, please get off of me." Faeyln closed his eyes, he couldn't think about her, no - not right now - this was going to get embarrassing soon..."fuck me," he groans covering his face, tired and exhausted.

 

"Say it in Elvish," she replied bluntly.

 

"Pardon?" He starting to sound like Solas, polite and well refrained - that's exactly how Solas would react with a pretty pantless girl upon him. Solas would push her off, tell her to go away, but why would he want to be anything like him, all he did was talk about dreams and never a reality - would he end up like Solas at his age? - if he was lucky enough to ever be twice his age now.

 

 

Live in the moment. 

Live life.

Live now.

 

"Pala em."

 

This was a terrible idea, the worst - even worse than courting Cassandra or becoming the Inquisitor. She was going to break his heart eventually, it was certain - he always cared too much, about everything.  He could feel it now, within himself - one heart leaving - one turning to dust. Raven wasn't a girl that meant forever and he knew that in his heart and soul - she was no ma' lath, no falon'saota and never would she be a vhenan.

 

Her hands so feminine and soft touched his skin, how could they be so delicate yet so fierce, nothing about her made sense. His hands took her slender waist, grasping it tightly as he pulled himself up. He moved in close, slowly - perhaps hoping she would make the first move, but he couldn't see anything in front of him. A single finger tapped his lips, "no." she said at once as her finger slowly slipped from his upper lip to the tip of his chin.

 

 

She didn't want to be kissed, she didn't want romance.

 

So, what did she want?

 

Something purely physical?

 

Her hands drifted from him, tugging and shifting from her form as began pulling at her own clothing, what little that remained on her. "A little help would be nice." She muttered softly, stuck within her own grab. "Arms up," Faeyln spoke as he found the bottom hem of her top and slowly pulled it up and off over her head, as it fell to the ground beneath them.

 

"Are you going too?" Her fingers tugged his clothes suggestively.

 

"Fuck, give me a moment."

 

  
-  
 

"How many moments do you need? - you're like a woman." Raven argued with almost a hint of a laugh.

 

"It's been awhile."

 

"How long is - awhile?"  She fussed as her body edged so close upon his own.

 

"Two-three years." He mumbled with an almost moan at the touch of her warm velvety skin. Between closing rifts and adventuring Thedas there wasn't exactly much time to go gallivanting around with women, and even before that within the clan it was - inappropriate to do acts without a sign of commitments.

 

So here he was, breaking the rules again.

 

"That does explains...a lot."

 

"As I said - awhile, don't be a bitch." He cursed at her immediately regretting it, though she responded with a hesitant giggle. Her legs wrapped and hooked around his waist, her arms around his neck. He pulled her in tight, her body against his, her fingers through his hair and his lips to get her collarbones.

 

"You better not -- " She didn't finish her sentence.

 

"Afraid I'll get you pregnant, huh?"  He mused.

 

"We are interspecies, it would probably turn into some kind of dremora abomination - so, yeah...a little." 

 

Faeyln signed heavy, tired and slightly frustrated, "Don't worry, I have self-control unlike you."

 

Raven chuckled as her hands trailed down his chest while she shifted her weight upon his body, "That is very true, one of my only flaws." 

 

A grasp of air was taken as his breath became heavier with hers, a sway of her hair brushed his neck, her skin smelled heavenly of the woods even in here. "Are you sure your vanity isn't one?" Her hand pushed his chest back from her as she muffled a laugh, "No, it's one of my finer qualities."

 

He grabbed her hands to his chest and pushed her down softly on her back with a thud, her hands pushed above her head. He whispered in her long elven her as his nose pushed against the softness of her cheek. "Are you sure?" His breath tingled her spine and her knees ached wrapped around his waist. "Positive," she groaned with a soft moan as he pushed his weight harder against her letting out a small gasp.

 

"Do I need to ask again - or are you going to make me go deeper?"

 

Raven tossed her head from his ever inching lips as she chuckled, "Is this how it's going to be? - or is this how you get everyone to bow to the great Inquisitor?"

 

"I dunno, this the first attempt - is it working, would you kneel for me, sweetheart?"

 

Her legs arched and toes tingled as she loosened her grasp with the rhythm of his body against her own. "I wouldn't kneel you or any man." She mumbled breathily against the softness of his face, "-Unless it involves getting into a really - really - REALLY, big -"  She paused with a gasp as he pushed his weight against her again, "-Castle." 

 

"Fucking hell, you are a gold digger."

 

"I might be the gold Inquisitor, but you're the one digging right now - besides, you're dying right? - you won't need a castle once your dead."

 

  
Solas' necrophilia was starting to make sense now. 

 

"I don't even know how to respond to that."

 

"Oh Witbane, you can start by saying - Yes."

 

"Yeah, I don't think so sweetheart..."

 

 

A pause grew between them.

Silence.

The air felt thin.

 

 

 

"Considering you're going to die before me, do I get your bow?"

 

" - That's seriously not funny - "

 

" I am going to take that as a yes. Can I keep your pants for my lonely nights too? "

 

"Ouch!" He yelled as something tugged the back of his head, like hands with a fist full of hair. "No hair pulling, I am quite attached to my hair thank you."

 

"Fuck you and your puns." Raven hissed with a scoff.

 

"You are." Faeyln purred against her ear, trying to get on her nerves. "You can get off of me," Raven said unimpressed with the humor now on her. "But you're not even satisfied yet -" his lips greeted the softness of her neck as she shrugged away with a shake of her head, "You attempt is cute, but you could never satisfy me Inquisitor Lavellan."

 

"Is that a challenge I hear?"

 

 She responded with a muffled laugh, high and doubtful, he almost loved it.

 

"- Hey, what are you ---" Raven arched her back with a sudden jolt of what felt like electricity through her spine What the in Oblivion -- "What are you -- doing? --" She gasped biting back down on her lip as her toes curled. "That's cheating!!"

 

"But oh look...I won...oh dear -- "

 

"That was - unholy." She hissed through her teeth, "You wicked demon."

 

"Ah, this must be embarrassing for you...I see that -- wanna see some of my other elven tricks though?"

 

"FUCK NO." She yelled a little too loud, "fuck." her voice turned into a whisper.

 

"Alright, well time to get off sweetheart -- unless you do what that tiny dremora - whatever." 

 

  
Ugh, Raven unhooked their entwining legs as she pushed him from her. And he was right, he did have great self-control - it was almost impressive. "Wow...you weren't kidding about self-control," She had to stop her self from laughing, at least he couldn't see her wide smug look upon her face.

 

"Well I did tell you so, you shouldn't doubt me." Faeyln paused his speech as he grasped his clothes in a bundle, pulling them close. "They used to call me Flipper back home --" Shit......shit... "Shit! - don't-you-ever-repeat-that."  His eyes wide Faeyln slapped his own face with regret...why did he say that.

 

Raven shook her head as she slipped down from the bunk as her feet slapped onto the cold moist floor, "Goodnight - Flipper." She chuckled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 


	33. She Puts the Ease in Cheese.

 

 

 

# She Puts the Ease in Cheese.

 

 

  
   
 

It was just a dream - just one horrible, extremely, vivid dream... Faeyln awoke, his long ears adjusting to the sound around him. Humming, a woman's voice - she was singing a song about dragons, one he had not heard before. Was it Raven, did she even sing? 

 

Faeyln laid there on his back, so close to the ceiling - listening to her hum away on the bottom bunk. Was last night real? - did that actually happen or was that some kind of vivid nightmare?

 

"- Hey -"  Faeyln said almost too casually.

 

Raven responded with a gentle sigh as she kicked the top bunk with her foot in response, "Sleep well?"

 

"Ouch," He groaned, "I suppose." Faeyln breathed deeply as he pushed his hair from his face, gagging on his own tongue to muster up the courage to ask her a simple question. "About last night--"

 

"Yes?"

 

A silence grew in between them, distant and slightly awkward.

 

Raven was the first to break it, "Is this about the sex or me trying to kill you? - it gets confusing nowadays..."

 

His eyes fluttered, he would have preferred it to have been a nightmare. "A little of both, I guess..."

 

 The bed shook, as the weight shifted from one end to the next as it appeared to him she was standing - he didn't want to look at her, how could he... "I am sorry, alright? I don't exactly have the best impulse control... It's not like you had too - it was your choice too."

 

Faeyln shrugged his shoulders with pursed lips, he wasn't sure how to respond. "So - it meant nothing to you then?"

 

"No, why would it?"

 

He supposed that was a good answer, it was straightforward, she never sugarcoated things - it was just... Faeyln signed deep, "it's just - never mind - it's fine..." He felt hurt slightly, though he had no idea why - he didn't love her by any means, how could he? - she was...her... But he found himself in regret. He didn't mind the intimacy, it might have been even enjoyable to some degree - though was it right? Should he have done that to her? She didn't care obviously, but he was never one for one night stands or impulsive trysts.

 

"Wow - regretting it already? - am I really that bad?" Raven chuckled as she rolled her eyes moving over to the table in the corner and sitting on the wooden table.

 

"No - it's not that...you wouldn't understand, we are too different...just know that I am sorry and I won't -"

 

Raven knew where he was heading with this, but never had she ever have someone say sorry for her intermit company. "Seriously? Just stop - it's fine...you're just making me feel bad now, and I never feel bad about anything."

 

"I lost control and I shouldn't have, you will have my apology." He muttered firmly.

 

"Well too bad, I don't want it - you're far more interesting when you are frisky anyway."

 

He shook his head as he slowly sat up from the bed, "If I accept that, will you break us out?"

 

"You really want out of here, don't you?!"

 

"Obviously, I have a world to save remember?! - I am at fucking breaking point, I'll give you anything to get me out of here, okay?!"

 

"Anything, huh?"

 

"YES." Faeyln almost yelled, sick and tired of everything.

 

"Interesting offer Inquisitor. I might have to accept, such an honorable favor."  

 

He knew he was going to regret it now, but if they got out - at least he could live to see it.  

 

"SO? Get me out - now!"

 

Raven shrugged her shoulders as she moved towards the back wall feeling over the stones in the walls, she had done numerous times over  - "Hear that?" her first tapped the stone, it allowed.

 

"Stand back, over towards the wall." Raven's hand spread out, casting a simple muffle spell to blanket out the sound of the cell. "What - what was that?" Faeyln asked, confused by her magic, confused to everything about her...why did she only want to escape now, was it always this easy? - what had changed her mind?

 

"Just a spell Inquisitor, we don't want to have you alerting the guards again - stand back."

 

Faeyln stood back, watching and waiting - what was she going to do - what was she planning?

 

Raven's foot kicked out, heavy and powerful. The wall crumbled down onto itself, causing a thick blanket of dust and debris. "Whelp -" She said while dusting off her hands, "That was one way to do it..." Raven knocked more stone from the wall as she looked through the massive gap, she had now created.  "I am not exactly sure where that leads -"

 

Faeyln cut in before she could finish, "Anywhere other then in here is great...lets go, yes?!" He just wanted to be out of here, out of Skyrim, and more importantly away from her - but they still needed the sword, otherwise, everything would have been for nothing.

 

"Why did you change your mind? - And don't give me the 'I did it for gold,' story, because if it is - I swear to the fucking gods...." He said with a hushed whisper as they walked down a dusty dark walkway, it had obviously been boarded off a long, long time ago.

 

"There are more important things in life than gold Inquisitor."

 

  
 He wasn't expecting her to say that, though her calling him Inquisitor non-stop was starting to get on his nerves.

 

 

"So, why do I doubt you?"

 

"Dunno, but I guess you could say you changed my mind last night - what you said changed a lot of things..."

 

"Like?!"  Faeyln defiantly not expecting her to say that.

 

 

"What you said about my bow, taking it - I couldn't handle that Inquisitor, the thought of a man touching her - I couldn't cope with it, ya' know what I mean?" 

 

"No, no I do not." He couldn't believe her, was that all she cared about...Raven cared more for stuff, gold and glory more then lives at stake...his life partially.

 

 

The dark hallway widened out. Large cobwebs hung from the ceiling and a thick layer of dust covered the floor, this place was creepier than Chateau d'Onterre, but at least there was no walking dead around each corner, just stacks of chairs and empty wine bottles.

 

"Where the fuck are you taking us?" Faeyln asked. Raven had a horrible sense of direction at the best of times, even she had no idea where they were.

 

Raven shrugged her shoulders in a childish manner, she just wanted to find the armory, though it was proving harder than she could fathom. "I don't understand...why is this part of the building sealed off?" The Blue Palace was massive and this wing was even bigger, why wouldn't they be using it for something - surely...  

 

"Maybe cause it's haunted? - Cursed?!" Faeyln whispered loudly.

 

"Haunted? Ha...everywhere in Tamriel is haunted Inquisitor, scared of a little ghost now?!"

 

"No, thief - I fear the living not the dead."    

 

 

A door slammed in the distance and they both screamed while clenching each other.

 

 

"Oh shit!!"

..."Fuck....why did you scream?!" Faeyln hissed.

"Your scream scared me!!"

....."You were the first to scream!"

 

"I WAS NOT!"

 

  
Raven pushed Faeyln from her arms, "Ugh - okay, I'll admit it...cause you're such a wimp, I have a slight fear of Liches...alright, happy?!"

 

"Wow, you actually fear something other than commitment? Shocking..."  Faeyln huffed annoyed.

 

"You know what else is shocking...YOUR FACE." 

 

"How original..." He rolled his eyes.

 

"Yeah...well....fuck - you."  Raven threw her arms into the air as she walked steadily away from Faeyln. Her bow had to be kept around here somewhere.

 

She was walking away, as she did everything...Faeyln ran to catch up. He was starting to regret ever regretting anything to do with this woman. "You know, fucking you was the worst decision I ever made...And I once thought riding a halla was a good idea."

 

Raven scoffed loud as they walked side by side, "Have you ever noticed your life is built on bad decisions?"

 

"Yeah, and you take the cake, sweetheart." 

 

"I suppose that didn't imply when you were moaning my name last night, huh?!"  Raven pursed her lips, she knew she had won this argument -for now anyway.

 

Faeyln narrowed his eyes..."It was enjoyable at the time..."

 

"Pfft, I was probably the best lay you have ever had - and I am probably guessing you haven't had a lot."

 

"Yup, because I believe in something called 'commitment' -"

 

 

He was looking smug, somehow he had won...again...great... Raven tossed her head, without replying as they slowly walked. A sound was coming from ahead, though she was unsure of what...maybe a rat or a skeever.

 

 

 

Nope...

 

Not a rat...

 

Nor a skeever...

 

A man in black sipping a cup of tea...

 

 

 

Raven blinked her eyes but he was still sitting there. His head turned as his floral teacup hit the saucer. "Oh, you're here." He said with a bored voice, "Come to sit." His finger pointed to two chairs in front of the table that laid out in front of him... "Is that a demon?" Faeyln whispered against Raven's ear as she shook her head, in truth she had no idea.

 

"Ah, no thanks...  But if you know a way out of here..."

 

"Sit." He spoke again over Raven. The chair he pointed too pulled itself out of the table as it skidded across the floor - "Sit and please stop wasting my time."    

 

They looked at each, Faeyln and Raven...they both knew it was a bad idea, though something about this man drew them in - curiosity perhaps.

 

Raven was the first to sit, her prison garb was beginning to get itchy as she scratched at her collarbone. "Faeyln Lavellan, Ebony Vanrina, it's a pleasure to meet you finally."  Raven looked behind her, expecting to see someone else, who the fuck was he talking about - he knew Faeyln apparently..."Who is -"

 

"You have forgotten your own name already? Such a shame... It says it right here." A clipboard appeared in his hand with a dash of speaking with a large feather quill. "I myself am Haskill."

 

Raven almost wanted to snatch whatever was in his hands, why did he call her that name - did he know something about her she didn't even know. "So - that's my birth name...then?! How...why...." She found herself stuttering over her own words to this mystery man.

 

"Confused already? How very disappointing."

 

Faeyln chuckled slightly as Raven was silently freaking out inside her own mind. Vanrina...she had a last name? - she had never heard that last name ever, why had she never heard it before, Valenwood wasn't that big...was she even born in Valenwood?

 

She had too many questions, too many she wouldn't ask...and he was obviously lying...he had to be.

 

"I am not -" Raven took a deep breath, "Confused! - well, not really... I...." Her voice trailed off as Faeyln spoke on her behalf. "Creators..." He couldn't her confused mess... "What is it that you want...Haskill?" 

 

"Nothing you could offer, I assure you. My lord, on the other hand, knows you seek him, he knows a great deal."

 

"Lord, what lord?!" Raven slammed her hands down on the table with a bang.

 

 "Your skill in repetition is truly astounding. Lord Sheogorath of course."

 

 

Sheogorath?

 

SHEO-FUCKING-GORATH?!

 

 

"WHAT?" Raven yelled, she was high - or dreaming....or both....what was going on...

 

 

Haskill fluttered his eyes with a sign and spoke low and spaced, "My - Lord - wishes - to - speak - to - you."

 

"...I still don't think I understood that..."

 

Faeyln palmed his face with frustration, what was her problem now?! - "Where is this Sheogorath, does he have this Umbra blade I have heard about?" 

 

"My Lord is in the Shivering Isles," Haskill responded, just as bored as before.

 

"And....that is where?" Faeyln asked almost concerned. He didn't have the time to go exploring, he needed to get back to Thedas, to find Cullen and Solas, where ever the fuck they were right now.

 

 

Haskill closed his eyes, he didn't respond straight away..."Far away."

 

"Great, well we don't have time for that...so why don't you just go there and send word to your little Lord to send the sword to Thedas. Have him mail it Skyhold visa Eluvian - that would be great, I'll am going now..." He tried to move from his chair, yet he couldn't, Faeyln was stuck... "What the fuc--"

 

A laugh filled the room, or maybe it was just his ears...it was loud, almost like a demon trying to get into his mind... "what is that?!"

 

Raven cocked her head at Faeyln wondering was going on, until she started to hear it as well...Faeyln Lavellan really did make the worst choices.

 

 

"Haskill...HASKILL." Said an unknown voice.

 

"Yes, my lord?"

 

"Run along, I'll take it from here...."

 

"At once my lord."

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! UPDATE (13/06/18)
> 
> Just letting you know I took the last three chapters away cause they sucked. I know - I know... It's terrible, but I was stuck on that last chapter for so long and pulling my own hair out over it. it's better just to start back here and get the point, rather then take forever to write my way out of a hole. 
> 
> Anyways, it was only 3 chapters, it's not so bad... ugh. XD sorry.... you can hit me if you want, I am a sadistic little botch. 
> 
> I am joking. 
> 
> o_o


	34. Wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did take three chapters off, they were bad, face it...we all knew it... 
> 
> On the plus side, I'll start writing regularly again and skip right up to umbra... yes? good...lets get going.

# Wild

 

 

Faelyn pulled himself from the ground, knees trembling, elbows aching. They had fallen through some kind of magical barrier, pulled in by forces unknown. With two hands he reached down, grabbing Raven with a heave off the ground, she mumbled under breath as she rubs her sore head. 

 

Raven looked around, they weren’t in prison anymore, that much she could tell. “Fuck, who knew I could fall head over heels for you.” She smiled her pretty little lips, that made him feel butterflies in his stomach that soon just turned into overwhelming nausea.

 

“Be quiet.” He replied with a sneer.

 

They walked side by side, within what seemed like a garden, a very large garden. It was gloomy though, and the sky was a dusky purplish haze that reeked of melancholy.

 

“This is the most depressing place I have ever been.” Raven muttered, “And I have been with you, so I know a lot.”

 

“Ha, ha…” Faelyn forced a sarcastic laugh. “At least I am not a shitty thief.”

 

“At least I am not a shitty Inquisitor.”  

 

“That was mean.” He curled his lips, glancing at her for an instant. “I try my best.”   

 

“I honestly don’t know how you survived the last year without me,” Raven admitted with a huff, her arms folding defensively.

 

“I don’t know how I endured the last month with you.” He sighed.

 

Raven folded her fingers within her palm, rolling her eyes with a leer. “Last night was the best night of your miserable life, admit it.” 

 

“I will not.” Faelyn snapped as their shoulders brushed. “Because it wasn’t - it was over before it even began, Raven. We didn’t even snuggle.” He finished with a deep frown. 

 

“I don’t cuddle and you don’t exactly smell pleasant at the moment.” 

 

“Oh, I know you are a snuggler. You cuddled me once already remember when Solas kissed you and you sobbed in my arms so sweetly, mhm.” He teased with a chuckle.

 

“I ate too many nirnroots, it doesn’t count, I was basically drugged and on the verge of mass murdering everyone, if I remember correctly - then your dragon locked me away - again.” 

 

“Cassandra is protective.” He admitted with a shrug.

 

“It’s more than that.” Raven snickered, turning and walking back to face him. “She got a rare case of the betty notch jellies, once she noticed the way you were gazing upon me.” 

 

Faelyn scoffed at the word ‘jellies’ bewildered by what that even meant. “Even if I knew what you’re talking about -” 

 

“Jealous. Inquisitor.” She interrupted rolling her eyes. 

 

“Jealous? Cassandra doesn’t get jealous, she’s not that type of woman.” He chuckled. “Plus I don’t know what you’re talking about - yes, I had a thing with her about four months ago, but that’s none of your concern.” 

 

She was inquisitive, she admitted to herself, why Cassandra would leave him?  It definitely was not the other way around, she knew that much. But he wasn’t bad looking for a skinny, short guy, plus he had nice hair at least and cute laugh… maybe…

 

“So why did she leave you?” Raven grinned, trying not to make her curiosity known. 

 

“Maybe I left her?” He huffed. “Anyways why should I tell you, it’s not like you care?” 

 

“I don’t.” Raven shrugged more quiet than usual.

 

Faelyn narrowed his eyes to towards the golden-haired bosmer, she was being awfully sus. “Tell me about your last relationship and I’ll tell you about mine, fair is fair.” 

 

“Deal,” Raven smirked. “Never had one, not a relationship anyway.” She told the truth. Raven knew she desired companionship, she never felt like she needed it. It was unnecessary and messy in her line of work. 

 

“Not ever?” He trailed off, “What about your first?”

 

This was supposed to be about him, not her. Raven groaned, settling her hands within the comfort of her pockets. “Faelyn please don’t be naive, I grew up on the streets as an orphan remember, it wasn’t romantic.” She stopped herself, looking towards the horizon within this gloomy garden, everything felt dead and she hated opening up or showing symptoms of vulnerability. 

 

His face cracked, he knew somewhere deep down he shouldn’t have asked, her past wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows. He felt sickened, in fact, his whole body ached inside and out, he just wanted to hold her in his arms, yet he knew that she would not like that. “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have asked - please tell me you killed them,” he said quietly almost with a whisper.

 

“No, I was just a kid, Faelyn.” Her eyes drifted down. “Believe me, there were times in my life where I was truly weak. - maybe it’s why I lost my humanity, it doesn’t matter now, I am who I am, and I am glad for everything that has happened, even the shit stuff… though, enough stalling, tell me about Cassandra before we both start crying - eh.” She hinted with a fragile smile. 

 

In all honesty, he had no idea what to say after that, he felt truly broken, shattered even. “I don’t know, things just never go right for me, Raven - life just sucks sometimes - okay, a lot of the time.” He faintly chuckled, chewing his lip. “I probably wasn’t enough, maybe I wasn’t good with words and she didn’t fancy my jokes.” 

 

“What?” Raven chuckled, “Your humor is your best trait, you’re not boring.” 

 

Fuck...too friendly, Raven bit down on her tongue in horror.

 

“Wow, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” His eyes widened as he scrunched his nose. “I never thought that would come out of your mouth.” 

 

“You’re also a little shit and annoying as fuck - and you're short, plus you kinda look like a girl.” She grunted annoyed at her moment of kindness.

 

“Ah, I have never seen you try so hard to be mean. It feels really forced.” He laughed back at her. 

“I am dumping you as a friend Faelyn Lavellan.”

 

“We ‘were’ friends? Awh.” He cooed sweetly.

 

“I hate you, I am leaving you...like now.” She hissed, feeling embarrassed and flustered. Raven took off on her feet into a run along the garden path, she wanted to get away, she needed it.

 

“Raven, come back!” Faelyn called, watching her take to a sprint.

 

 

 

 

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, I edited this whole story...it was a long night... it still is... sorry about the three chapters again. I wrote myself in the void... it happens. *shrugs* 
> 
> But lets not be sad, ES 6 got announced, how f*cking awesome, now we just have to wait - what...four years? The irony is that there's a city in Hammerfell called 'Sentinel' cause we'll be waiting forever... ha XD


	35. Salt

# Salt

 

 _“Raven, come back here!”_  He called, his legs picking up a speed. She was gone, and there was no site of her anywhere. “Where are you, this isn’t funny you know?” An almost feeling of panic wavered over him, he didn’t want to be here alone.

 

His eyes darted around, watching for any unexpected movement, but there was nothing but rocks, ferns, and the occasional dead flower, shrivel to a withered husk. He stops momentarily, hands folded to his chest. A sudden flash caught his eyes, small and twinkling almost like a candle, yet it came from off the path and into the garden itself. His feet shuffle slowly as his hands wade through the endless shrubs, ferns, sticks and snapping under his bare feet.

 

The light stretched out, it was bigger than he expected, he still had no site of Raven, yet if he had seen the light, surely she would of too.

 

_It was…_

 

Faelyn blinked his eyes, clueless. There was a giant long-running table, set out with candles and silver dishes fit for a feast. When he came closer, he finally saw her amongst the candle gleams, her eyes watching on in awe while seated at the enormous table.

 

“Oh look it’s  _YOU!_  - You’re late!”

 

His body jolted with a sharp jerk, a bearded man with eyes like Morrigan although more felon like appeared before him in a cloud of magic. “Sit, little mortal, SIT.” He queued, looking back to Raven, he followed the instruction, seeing the look on her face made him not question the act.

 

 

 

 

Raven tapped her fingers anxiously against the wood, the smell of the cheese at the table was overwhelming. “What do you want from us?” Her voice shook as she watched Faelyn and Sheogorath sit at the table, gently pulling their chairs out, before pushing them in. “What do I want from you? The question is what do YOU want from me, little elf!”

 

They both knew what she wanted, Umbra of course and possibly that sweetroll in the center of the table, yet both were unlikely to be received.

 

 _“Umbra,”_  Raven mumbled softly.

 

“Mhm.” The Mad God tilted his head. “Ha, you don’t ask for small things do you, mortal? - Ah, but yuh see, I don’t go giving my relics away from free.”

 

“So, what do you want?” Faelyn broke his silence, mostly unaware of who he was speaking too.

 

“A floating castle, a three-headed dog named Tittles McGee and mhm…” He paused.  _“Six Elder Scrolls!”_  He laughed with a roar.

 

Raven blinked her eyes. “I can offer you one elder scroll, but I don’t have it with me.” she tried to bargain.

 

“Well, that’s no fun!” Sheogorath tsked his tongue before licking his lips. “How about the hand?” One finger pointed towards Faelyn’s left wrist, making him feel awful uncomfortable. “I need my hand, and I am quite attached to it too.”

 

Raven’s foot kicked him under the table for the jest.

 

His head turned to hers with pursed lips, as Sheogorath snickered with glee. “I can see why you need that hand now.” He chuckled, making Faelyn feel even more flushed and reddened in the cheeks.

 

“You poor little mortals, you think you have it hard now. - just wait a couple hundred years, a wolf, a dragon, so many sets of teeth, makes me feel little nauseous, to be honest.”

 

 _Like he has a couple hundred years,_  Faelyn signed to himself. “Well,  _fuck me.”_

 

“Oh dear,” Sheogorath grumbled, resting both his hands to his chin. “No you don’t really want that, you’d be screaming before you can say cheese!” He laughed high. “Ah, but in all seriousness, I am worst than old Molag, and we don’t call him ‘Molag Balls’ for no reason.”

 

He could hear Raven’s soft chuckles without even looking at her, so he kicked her back under the table.

 

“Ouch.” She groaned. “It was funny.”

 

“Ha. you say that now little elf.”  Sheogorath grinned with a smirk, knowing more than perceived. “You know, you are both more alike than one could think, or perhaps you can’t - maybe that’s the problem.”

 

“No, we are nothing like I am afraid,” Raven said swiftly.  

 

“Are you sure, little elf? You both are _elves,_  small, _meek,_  uninteresting. Both abandoned like stray puppies, quite sad really when you think about it.” He smirked.

 

Raven bit her lip as Faelyn spoke up. “I was never abandoned,  _you’re wrong_.”

 

“I am a lot of things mortal, but wrong isn’t one of them. You seem to be forgetting your dear old dad and oh, mother too.”

 

“My mother died, she didn’t abandon me.” He corrected, feeling his fists tighten within his palms.

 

“Reaaaaally? - are you  _sure_?”

 

But she did die, didn’t she? - she had gotten sick when he was young and passed in the night, he remembered it like it was yesterday - though what if she didn’t... “No.” He replied, his voice silent grew slight as his heart slowed in his chest with tiny flutters.

 

“Good lad, except the truth. Every woman in your life neither wants you or desires your companionship.”

 

Raven watched him break, slowly dropping his head as his thick blonde waves covered his face, even from here she could feel his heart shattering into a thousand tiny pieces like sand to the wind. She tried to reach out and put her hand on his knee, but he remained as still and lifeless as a statue.

 

“Did you really have to be that fucking harsh?” She jeered. “Just tell me what you want so we can leave.”

 

“No, no little miss, we aren’t done here! We haven’t got to your parents yet,  _that’s where things get truly interesting.”_

 

She bit her tongue, watching his hand reach out and plucked a strawberry from a bowl, bring it back to his mouth and biting it slowly. Raven didn’t want to know, the truth was often harder than the lies she told herself, what if the truth was bad, or something that would leave a wound that would never heal, just fester within her already dark heart.

 

“I don’t want to know - so -”

 

“Your mother was a  _Breton._ ”

 

Raven dropped her head as soon as she heard the words, hitting her forehead so hard against the wood, the whole table bounced with a forceful rattle.

 

“Oh my yes, she was as cute as a button and as mad as a hatter. - your father on the hand was Bosmer, a devout follower of Y'ffre. He joined the Wild Hunt and tried so hard to become a spriggan he turned into a tree,  _it’s quite poetic really.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I write Sheo okay...ah... It's so great to be writing this story again. there's nothing like writing at midnight and thinking of a 'Molag Balls' joke on the spot. Ah, the mysteries of a disturbed mind...


	36. The Dark Side of The Moon.

# The Dark Side of The Moon.

 

 

  


“Honestly little mortal it’s not that bad, I could have said you were part Khajiit, born of wild be bestiality.”

 

Raven grunted back in response, her head still firmly against the table. She was a half-blood, a fucking half-bred mutt. Somewhere deep down she should have seen the signs, how did she never notice? Her eyes, her skin, body, all suggested the truth, none of it was ever completely Bosmer alike. But why did she have to be half Breton of all things, they were all cooks or swindling merchants.

 

“We are paying for Umbra with a sanity aren’t we?” She lifted her eyes with a hint of a glare.

 

“Oh little elf, what makes you think you are sane, to begin with?” Sheogorath rubbed his hands together, making a sound of rubbing friction. He was planning something, she could tell within those mysterious amber eyes.

 

“Then what do you want?” As the words exited her mouth, Faelyn brought his head up, running his finger through his hair, pushing it from his face, showing his once emerald eyes, now puffy and scarlet.

 

“We’re going to play a game little mortals, I call it truth or truth! - lie and you lose, how amusing!”

 

“If we lose, we just lose the sword?” Faelyn murmured dryly.

 

“And your tongues! - or maybe your _toes.”_

 

“Fine, I have nothing to hide.” He admitted though the fact remained whether Raven would make them fail, considering her ability to never tell the truth.

 

But Raven had something completely different in mind. “If Faelyn gets the sword I want something too, something I know you have.” She watched Sheogorath react, he seemed more surprised than anything, delighted in it even.

 

“Ah, surprises -” He gushed. “And what would you seek little elf? Gold... treasure, love, wisdom, the Moons? - that’s what most mortals ask for.”

 

Thoughts flicked through her brain, zoning off and licking her lower lip, she looked to Faelyn. She knew in his eyes that she was going to ask for gold or something greedy, his eyes narrowed as he too pondered what was going through her mind.

 

“Treasure.” She spoke, hearing Faelyn sign heavy, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in disappointment before she could conclude.

 

_“ - The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal - ”_

 

It was deafening quiet, everything became still, not even breaths of air could be distinguished amongst the stinging white noise.

 

“Ah.” The Daedric Prince broke it with a look on his face that was unknown, no humor, just a feeling of awful blankness. “I see -” His fingers twisted bunching together within one large fist. “I will agree to your terms, little miss - for now.”

 

“Wait, what is it?” Faelyn asked, his head turning to Raven’s for answers he sought.

 

He watched her curl her lip before she spoke. “It’s nothing bad I promise, just a way I can be rid of my past for good.”

 

“That’s what Corvus thought, and ah, you’d both be wrong. A curse is a curse little elf.”

 

“A curse - what curse?” Faelyn asked more alarmed.

 

_“Whosoever wears it shall be lost in the shadows. His true nature shall be unknown to all who meet him. His identity shall be struck from all records and histories.”_ Sheogorath repeated.

 

Now he knew why Raven wanted it, it was a way she could leave everything behind a fresh start, she could be free - free without Thedas, free from everything including himself.

 

“Very well.” He signed sadly. “Let us begin.”

  


 

From the way Sheogorath looked at him, Faelyn knew he was in for it, and more importantly going to suffer even more greatly than he already did, although he was now at rock bottom, so how could anything get worse.

 

“Is it true you’ve always despised being the Grand Inquisitor?” The bearded man was enjoying this, he was asking questions he already knew the answers to. “What’s the point in telling you the truth, if you already know the answers?” Faelyn asked annoyed, watching the smugness grow upon his lips.

 

“The truth is a funny thing little one, knowing it in your heart is one thing, but saying out loud so the world can see? Ah, so?”

 

“Yes it’s true,” he said, bringing his hand to his mouth, biting his finger anxiously. “Everyone knows it. I am the Herald of some woman I don’t even believe and I stand for a God I don’t want - Happy? Was I telling the truth?”

 

“Yes. Good lad.” Sheogorath grinned. “Now I want you to think back, rewind to the past month back when your world was more simple, back when one world was one, then it was two.”

 

“...When I met Raven?” Faelyn hesitated.

 

“Ah yes, when Birdie over here got her wings clipped and caged, dragged straight into your hold - what was your first option of her?”

 

Faelyn blinked, this wasn’t the game he set out to play, this wasn’t a simple yes and no. “This is not a truth question!” He blurted out.

 

“My game, my world, _my rules!_ \- answer and speak only the truth.”

 

He moved within his chair uncomfortably, trying to think back. “I remember feeling obnoxious and stupid, she had been brought in wearing chains around her hands and ankles. Warpaint was smeared over her cheeks, the others had asked me if she was Dalish.” He paused. “I thought she looked lost, scared though she hid it well - making me think she was. - in other words, she reminded me of myself when I had first been brought in against my will.”

 

“And.” Sheogorath twirled his hand, suggesting he was holding something back.

 

“What do you want me to say? That I thought she was pretty?” His voice picked up as he started to become riled with annoyance. “- That I thought it was fucking arousing watching her bounded and chained at my feet, that I did ‘naughty’ things with my ‘naughty’ hands afterward.”

 

“I think you can stop Fae, I think your sarcasm just lost us the sword.” Raven rolled her eyes, Inquisitor Lavellan was a lot of things, but dark and brooding - no.

 

He turned his head to her with a swift sway of his hair, his voice subtle and soft. “I wasn’t lying sweetheart.”

 

“Please tell me he was.” She blinked. “We really don’t the sword or the cowl after all…”

 

She was dying inside, legitimately dying. If he had a dark kinky side she didn’t know about maybe she could actually see herself liking him, and that was a bad idea, and bad ideas were terrible ideas, and terrible ideas were horrible ideas, and horrible ideas were the best ideas. Fuck. Nope, he is a dork, and he will always be a dork.

 

Sheogorath laughed high with a grin from ear to ear that spoke louder than words, “Next question!”

 

He was telling the truth - shit.

 

The next question was going to be worse, she could perceive it. Then her questions after - fuck - losing her tongue and toes sounded happier, in fact, she’d probably get further in life as a mute.

 

“Is it true -” He began to speak and everything stood still, her heart thumping through her chest, one pound after the next. “That she was -”

 

Oh shit, it was about her again. Raven closed her eyes, trying to lose focus.

 

“You're first —”

 

What.

 

That lying little bitch. Raven snapped, tugging at his shoulder. “You said! You said - jeez, what? I -” She stuttered confused. “But I thought you said -”

 

Faelyn turned to her with a twist, gritting his teeth and red in his cheeks. “Not-that-kind-of-first-” He hissed back at her.

 

_Oh._

 

_Ah…_

 

_Er…_

 

That explained a lot.

 

“Yes she was the first female I had -” He halted, choosing his words. “Intimate relations with.”

 

That was oddly professional, she thought, almost praising his choice of words. “You know you could have told me, I wouldn’t have cared.” That was true on her part, she knew she wouldn’t have cared, maybe teased him playfully if anything.

 

“I know. — it’s nothing against you, I just don’t like discussing it.”

 

_Fair enough._

 

It must have been hard break up if there was any at all, she considered.

 

“Three questions are done and dusted.” Sheogorath rejoiced with an inner beam. “Your turn!” Raven gulped hard within her throat, her fingers tensed within her palm and inkling of sweat formed against her brow.

 

“BUT! Time for a twist!” He snickered. “I am giving my questions to you!” Raven’s heart sank as his aged pointy finger moved to Faelyn Lavellan. Would her questions come from him? Fucking fabulous.

 

“Alright, hit me up… go on, ask me anything.” She roared, apprehensive and defensive. “Do it.”

 

Faelyn hated the fact that he had to ask, the idea of making her feel vulnerable after everything he said and told, made him feel sick to his stomach - yet, this was the only time he may ever be able to get straight answers out of her.

 

“What do you want - future wise?” It was an odd question to ask, he doubted whether even she knew, but he didn’t care, he wanted to know regardless.

 

“What do I want... in the future?” She rehearsed back speechless, why did he have to ask a question she had no answer too. “Ah...Er… to be alive mostly. Look, I am alive in the moment kind of gal. There is no answer to that Witbane.”

 

“That wasn’t much of a truth - mostly half bent little one.” Sheogorath rubbed the white scuff of his chin.

 

“Alright, maybe I can do better, hold on.” She pushed her lips to the side as she thought. “I want a house, no - one of those giant telvanni fungi houses, that actually isn’t a fungus but a giant fucking sweetroll. Than Faelyn and I are going to get hitched and adopt five _Cathay-raht’s_ , all while watching him slowly become bold, fat and depressed.”

 

“Well thank you for that insight.” Faelyn dropped his brows, “You know sometimes I think it would be more sexually pleasing to smother you with a fucking pillow than actually lay with you.”

 

“Oh dear, that was definitely a lie little mortal.” Sheogorath shook his head, rising from the table, large cane in hand.

 

“Who? Her or me?” Faelyn asked.

 

“You of course!”

 

“It was unquestionably the truth.” Faelyn thinned his lips back at Sheogorath.

 

“Another lie, mortal!” He laughed. “You really do like this one don’t cha, the way you squabble like an old married couple.”

 

“We do not-” He halted, knowing that would perhaps count as a third lie. “Fine, then grant me some of your wisdom oh wise one, tell me what I should do?”

 

“It’s simple really, we have just the place in the Shivering Isles for mortals like yourself who suffer the same conflictions, we call it the Hill of Suicides.”

 

“Anything that doesn’t require involuntary death, maybe?” Faelyn glared.

 

Sheogorath advanced, a hand to his chin thinking. “You could just see the world from her eyes. Ah, yes the old switcheroo!”

 

“What now?” Raven narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about? I think I would prefer the suicide hill.”

 

“You see, back when I was fool such as yourselves, there was a town called Split. Each person had was suffering from an unusual dilemma as mortals do. A curse was placed against them, splitting their personalities in half.”

 

“Oh heck yes.” Raven beamed unexpectedly. “Split him in half! I want to see that immoral kinky side of yours!” She snickered.

 

“And what? I can see your kind loving side, huh?” Faelyn responded with a smirk, making Raven fold her arms vexed. “No one would ever want to see that side of me.”

 

_“I beg to differ.”_

 

“Ah no little elves, the thing is that was from the old Sheo’s box of tricks, and to be honest with you he was getting a little old, I think we could do something better.” His cane glimmered with a sparkle as he rose it higher from the ground, she knew then it was no ordinary cane or walking stick, no, it was a staff - A notorious and dubious staff of wicked creation.

 

“Whoa now, put the wabbajack down - nobody here needs to turn into anything!” Raven raised her hands, watching nervously, what was his game, what did he want, why was he doing this and how did he know so much, it was if he was always two steps ahead.

 

“And how do you know so much, I know you are powerful but foresight?” She asked. He was the Daedric Prince of Madness though, did he have a way to see into a person's mind whether that was mania purposes or not?

 

“Hah. I only know what you told me little one. Oh, how you came to me crying and begging at my feet, it was awfully depressing - I mean, even I felt bad for yuh.”

 

“I have never begged anyone for anything.” Raven hissed in response.

 

“Not yet anyway.” He laughed.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Sheogorath pulled at a strand around his neck, tugging at his violet and gold frilled collar, it was an amulet he revealed, yet one she had never seen.

 

But Faelyn knew what it was.

 

“Raven, why does this man have the time amulet?” He couldn’t believe his eyes, that was supposed to be looked away from the vault, and plus it was broken and practically destroyed, even Dorian couldn’t get it working again.

 

“Don’t ask me, I didn't even know you had one!” Raven looked back towards him, wide-eyed and confused.

 

He believed her, Faelyn had no idea why, but he did. “So why did she give you that exactly?”

 

“The reason for this whole facade? I guess you’ll have to find out the hard way. — Oh, and little mortal, the answer you seek lies within Azura's’ star, keep it close and don’t be afraid to use it.”

 

“I don’t understand…” Raven hesitated, what was going on? And what was he speaking about? “What are you going to do?”

 

“Me? The future calls mortal, broken on both sides of the coin, _Order_ is needed. — And remember you did ask for this, it should wear off it a couple of weeks, maybe a month. — Just think of it as a learning experience!”

 

 

 

The wabbajack dropped and everything turned black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this chapter and last have hinted at part two of this story... which may or may not happen. (I hope so though) I am just leaving a trail of bread crumbs. heh.
> 
> And yes, we are going to experience rather strange body swapping magic... Oh, how fun. XD
> 
> -
> 
> Elder Scrolls Fact of the Day.
> 
> (Yup I had to do this again)
> 
> Did you know that Morrowind's Khajiit's were actually a different breed of Khajiit from Oblivion and Skyrim?
> 
> WELL THEY WERE.
> 
> Morrowind's Khajiit's were a Suthay-raht where as in Skyrim/Oblivion they were Cathay.  
> But that's only two of the known 16 breeds, but there is rumoured to be over 20. (As I have said before)


	37. Two Halves, Two Souls, One Heart.

 

#  **Two** Halves, **Two** Souls, **One** Heart.

 

 

 

 

Raven hadn’t slept this well long time if any. it was as if she was floating on a cloud of silk, heavenly laced with feathered pillows seized tightly to her chest. With a single mumble to her lips, eyes fluttered open, brushing the loose strands of hair from her face. A bulge was laying beside her, rugged thickly in a scarlet and gold embroidered blanket.  

It took her a moment to realize she was indeed back inside Dovahkiin’s master bedroom again. How she got here was haze as well, just another mumbled up blur. A garden she remembered firstly, one dark and filled with nothing but dark violets and blacks, reeking of death. Then a table - Sheogorath? Well, that explained how she got here…

 

The lump in the rug must be Faelyn.

 

A hand reached out and tapped him lightly, he was bundled up so tight. A tiny sleepy mumble stirred from his lips, while she nudged him again. He was so small, she often forgets they were five years apart, not that showed in appearance.

 

“Come on, wake up you little shit.” A hand clasped her mouth as soon as the words exited her lips. That was not her voice. That was most definitely not HER voice.

 

Her hand reached out and tugged him back with a forceful pull, rolling him over - their faces met and screams are heard from both sides. She fell backward with a thumb, rolling twice and landing falling straight on her face off the side of the bed. Her legs were longer and far more clumsy and uncoordinated then Raven was used too. She heaved herself forward, yet tripping again on the blankets that tugged at her feet.

 

“Oh fuck!” Faelyn muffled back through his hand.

 

_He was staring directly at himself._

 

Which meant...

 

_“Am I you?”_

 

“I think so.” Raven cried back, stranded onto the bed, clawing her way back on, one pull after another.

 

“Oh, my Gods… oh, Mythal…” Faelyn seized her hand, pulling her with a forceful heave, far stronger than he was used to, pulling Raven on top of himself with a heavy thud.

 

“Ouch!” Faelyn hissed back at Raven, knocking their foreheads against each other. “Why did you pull me on top of you, ugh!”

 

“I didn’t mean too!” He barked back.

 

Raven pushed up and straddled herself around...well herself... grabbing the closed pillow and smothered his...her face. “Maybe if I kill you, I’ll return to my body!” She laughed psychotically, making Faelyn kick his legs up and grasp her arms. His knee kicked up between her legs, making everything stop, but a whimper as Raven feel back onto the mattress, holding herself with a faint cry.

 

“Holy shit...ugh…” Faelyn watched his body shudder in pain. “Are you okay?”

 

“I - am - in - a - whole - world - of - pain -”  Each word was suspended with large breaths.

 

“I know, but you kind of deserved it!”

 

“No one deserves this.” Raven cried back, this was worse getting stabbed with a spoon.

 

“Except you.” He smiled with a sick twisted smug smirk. Her smirk.

 

“Kiss it better.” She whimpered.

 

“Oh fuck no.”

 

“But - you love me…”

 

_“I do not! -”_

 

“Just a cuddle then?” She tried to reason sadly.

 

Faelyn buckled, grabbing her and pulling her close into his grasp. It felt weird, unnatural, but also good in a way he couldn’t describe, perhaps he felt whole and himself again...

 

Until he felt a wet sensation on the skin of his neck with a tickle.

 

“Raven...is that you?” He shuddered for second pulling away, then he felt it again. “Oh my gods, what has gotten into you?” He struggled under tugging hold.

 

“I guess you could say I finally find you attractive,” Raven responded with a louder chuckle.

 

“You narcissist!”

 

Was it that obvious? She thought, in the mists of the obvious hilarity within the situation.

 

“Well, I know all your sweet spots now,” Raven confessed evilly, pushing him down on the bed against her weight.

 

“What?” His eyes widened in horror as the wet lips nipped at the blade of his ear. Faelyn shuddered with a sudden jolt of tangled nerves, causing his fingers to curl into a hardened fist. “Rav-” The moan trembled from his lips.

 

“Tell me to stop, go on.” Raven persisted.

 

_“I… I…”_

 

A sound of wrenching springs twisted as the door draw forward, softly in the background….until… “Inquisitor, are you up yet? Are you feeling well, I can hear a lot of...Oh, Maker!” The door slammed again abruptly.

 

“Cullen!” Faelyn called back, his voice stirring him from his pleasure filled trance.

 

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to disturb you…” He said through the door.

 

“You didn’t, I…” Faelyn looked to Raven. He wasn’t the Inquisitor anymore… Raven was, in his body, with HIS voice. Oh, gods. “Excuse us for a moment, Cullen!”

 

Why was Cullen acting so casually they had been gone for seemed a week.

 

What was going on?

 

“You really want me to continue, don’t you?” Raven chuckled, unnerved by her odd new laugh.

 

“No!” He hissed back in an angry whisper, touching the newfound tenderness of his ear, “We are in a world of trouble! This magic...ugh”

“I believe Sheogorath said it was going to wear off.” Raven shrugged. “Two weeks or was it a month? - oh shit, this is definitely the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me - and I once snorted a whole heap of moonsugar and thought I was skinny dipping with minotaurs.”

 

“What.” Faelyn shook his head, seriously bewildered.

 

 _“What?”_ She replied, raising her shoulders.

 

“Cassandra is going to kill me...which means, she’s going to kill you - or, both of us…” His eyes widened. “We have to keep this a secret…”

 

“A secret? I am terrible at keeping secrets!” Raven urged desperately. “I don’t know how you expect me to walk around and act like you for what could be a month. That’s the worst idea I have ever heard.”

 

She had a point he thought, there was no she was going to fool the courts, and especially not his inner circle - then there’s the fact that she now has the anchor...fuck.  

 

“You have to try!”

 

 _“You honestly think I know how to act like a sexually frustrated boy?”_ Raven raised a brow. “I never knew you had such faith in me.”

 

 _“Shut up._ ” Faelyn snapped back annoyed.

 

“Fine but when this all goes to hell, it’s your fault - never say, I don’t do anything nice!”

 

“My fault? Sheogorath made this all pretty clear that is YOUR fault!”

 

Raven curled her lips, remembering the necklace and all the weird things that were said. “Whatever Faelyn… where’s Umbra and my cowl…” Raven slipped off the edge of the bed, her legs felt odd and strange as she moved, grabbing her shoes at the end of the bed and trying to shove them on her feet to no avail. “What the fuck - oh, right…”

 

“Yes, Raven those my shoes now.” He rolled his eyes.

 

“I suppose you should be calling me Your Holiness or whatever your enthusiasts call you these days…” She snapped back, grabbing his own shoes. They were just rough leather wraps...ugh.

 

“The word is ‘Inquisitor’, you should probably learn that at least fast. God’s help you.”

 

“Inquisitor…” Raven ridiculed, finally standing beside the bed. “I prefer the title Emperor - your land doesn’t have one right? Maybe I should overthrow society while in charge!” She giggled.

 

“There’s a King, Alistair - you should probably learn that as well.” Faelyn huffed, grabbing Raven’s tawny leather jacket, covered extensively in buckles.

 

“King? Nice - is he _fuckable_?” She kinked a smirk.

 

He rolled his head back disgusted, “In my body? _No_.”

 

_“Right, damn…”_

 

Faelyn shook his head, this was the worst idea that ever existed. He moved to the end of the bed where something purple caught his eyes, laying on the far end table, wrapped in thin black silk… “Rav -” He hesitated, biting his lip. “Ugh - is this -”

 

Raven sprang forward, tripping on her own toes. “By Azura...holy shit…” She gazed in complete awe. “It even smells _purple_!”

 

“Smells like.” He sniffed. _“Solas’ feet…”_

 

Raven raised a brow. “I don’t know whether to be more appalled you think that or that you smell Solas’ feet.” She swayed her head reaching for the blade, holding its handle wrapped in silk. A single note fell from its cover.

 

“It’s from Sheogorath.” Faelyn narrowed his eyes reading it briefly in his head.

 

“Read it out loud in an accent.” Raven giggled before he pushed her shoulder with a huff.

 

“Be quiet.” he coughed. “Dear mortals. I hope you enjoy old Clavy’s blade and don’t get cursed, that would be a shame, everyone named Umbra is always an obnoxious bitch _(no wonder they always get murdered)_ Love always, _Uncle Sheo.”_

 

 _“He did not write that.”_ Raven tugged the letter towards her, seeing it for herself... _“Oh.”_

 

Faelyn shrugged back, “P.s.” He spoke again, rolling the letter down the bottom. “This letter will self-combust when saying the word, _‘cheese.’_ mh.”

 

On the words, the letter began to spark, roaring into a puff of smoke, forcing him to let suddenly. “Ah.”

 

 _“You really are an idiot, you know that!”_ She hissed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another late chapter. Sometimes this story is just so hard to write. 
> 
> (I am not naturally funny, so why do I write this? I have no idea.)


	38. It's Magic

 

## It’s Magic

  


“So?”

 

“I’ll behave.” Raven urged.

 

“Has there actually been any moments in your life, where you have actually ‘behaved?” Faelyn squinted his eyes, peering at himself. Gods, why couldn’t anyone told him how scruffy his hair actually looked, no wonder Leliana and Josie were giving eyes of murder at the winter palace - or maybe that was because he asked the wrong questions and perhaps he may have stumbled over a table or two… okay, and he sort of lost track of the halla statues, but climbing over barrels was never in the job description, he was an elf, not a mountain goat.

 

Though with that hair, he could see where people would get the wrong idea.

 

“No, not really, so you shouldn’t get your hopes up.” She shrugged her shoulders walking down the stairs, trying not to trip over her own feet. It was harder than she thought, Faelyn wasn’t exactly nimble or athletic, she missed her feet and staring at herself wasn’t nearly as pleasant as it seemed.   

 

Faelyn tugged at his coat, taking one step at a time down each step, they felt as if they were taking forever. The way Cullen had acted beforehand, was just wrong - he should have at least been half freaked out considering they had been gone for a week, yet he acted like it was nothing.

 

“Stop fiddling with your clothes,” Faelyn whispered with a heavy nudge of his elbow, forcing her to stop. “I can’t help it, your clothes are stupid, ugly and they itch.” She whispered back.

 

“They are Dalish, stop being a wuss and starting acting like the Inquisitor you’re supposed to be.”

 

“Act like an idiot, gotcha yuh.” She smirked back.

 

He held his tongue, entering the kitchen. Solas sat at the kitchen table, book in hand and Cullen looking surprisingly flustered.

 

“Er...Good morning…” Raven said, pulling a chair out incredibly slow.

 

“Inquisitor,” Solas said back, raising an eye over his book. “Did you sleep well?”

 

“Huh? - uhm sure.” Faelyn stepped on her foot, making her wince. “I mean yes, I did indeed - so ah… did you miss us?”

 

It seemed as if Raven had caught onto their strange behavior as much he had, thank the gods, he sighed, ever waiting for their response.

 

Solas dropped the book and looked towards Cullen who sat on the other side of the table. Then unexpectedly he shrugged carefreely. “Why are you asking? I didn’t hear you return last night, but I couldn’t hear anything over that loud singing in the basement.”

 

“I agree, Maker, please say we can leave, that Jester keeps looking at me strangely - it’s unnerving.” Cullen digressed.

 

That was probably a good idea she thought. Not to mention the brotherhood was only going to wait so long before they start coming after her again, especially considering she didn’t and wasn’t going to murder anyone for the Thalmor and definitely not while wearing Faelyn’s meat.

 

“Yeah, we should get going back to Thedan.”

 

“Don’t you mean _Thedas_ , Inquisitor?” Cullen raised a brow.

 

“That’s what I said.” She shook her head, throwing her arms in the air. “C’mon now, tsk tsk. Hurry up.”

 

She sat at the table after they left, pulling out a seat and falling into it, head upon the table, tired, exhausted, elves may live a very long time, but it felt as if she had already lived most of her own. Sheogorath said it was only temporary, she could cope with that at least, worse things had happened to her in the past; a little body swap was nothing in comparison.

 

But having to act like another person? This was going to be like the longest job ever, how long would she last before she slipped? His world was unknown to her, except for a handful of details she had read in ancient looking books from her time she mostly spent in a damp old cell.

 

And then there was his mark thingy, what was she going to do with that? She had never even seen him use it before, didn’t he close things with it… Oblivion gates maybe? No, they weren’t gates, though they probably went into a oblivion, or was it the Fade? Was the Fade another word for a realm of oblivion, whose realm was it?   

 

Sheogorath would know, he knows how to close Oblivion gates, he’s probably laughing right now, just thinking about it.

 

Shit, _half_ a Breton.

 

How was she half a fucking Breton?

 

“R -” The voice pulled her from her state of thought, though who calls her ‘R’ of all things, only Faelyn would be stupid enough to call her such imaginative things.

 

“I am just going to assume ‘R’ stands for ‘ridiculously sexy.”

 

“Amongst other things, sure.” He stated jaded. “Nap time is over, that jester is looking at me...like he...like he knows.”

 

“He knows…?” That pulled at her attention. “He knows - what exactly?”

 

Faelyn raised a brow, causing her to squint her eyes, swaying her head. “I am not catching on here. He knows that you’re stupid or he knows about the whole switchy thing - I am betting on both.” She folds her arms.

 

He lets out a breath of air. “Neither, he thinks we’re together - _together._ Maybe because we slept in the same room, I don’t know - be he thinks you’re trying to steal me away, or something - he just wouldn’t stop muttering!”  

 

Raven rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. “Great, thanks, now I know to watch my back from jealous jesters. Are Cullen and Dagoth ready to get going, more importantly, are you? Considering,  technically you are a wanted dangerous criminal who escaped jail unless Sheo altered that as well.”

 

“Fuck - stop calling him Dagoth as well!” He rubbed his face. “Yeah, I am ready - but can we avoid the whole prison situation again, please?”

 

It did seem like a good idea, maybe Cicero could cause a distraction outside, though he would have to be the one to ask, she thought to herself.  

 

_Unless._

 

Unless she used a 'Fade Other' spell on him, though she had never cast it before - to her own surprise.

 

It could work.

 

She’d need more magicka though.

 

Raven moved away, walking through the kitchen, opening cupboards, slamming doors, pushing things to the side. Bookshelf in the dining room had one, a big bottle too. “Wait...what’s that?” Faelyn gulped watching her popped the cork, Cullen, and Solas slowly meeting up in the same room.

 

“A magicka - I mean a mana elixir.” She said taking a whiff of the inside of the bottle, she never liked the taste of magicka potions, not that any of them actually tasted decent, but magicka always made her taste buds tingle.

 

“I thought you had no magic here, Inquisitor?” Cullen said lowing is a bag to his feet, packed and ready to go.

 

That was a good point.

 

Ugh.

 

_Say something Faelyn would say, quickly_. “That’s the thing about magic, commander. It’s magic.”

 

_Perfect._

 

Raven took a sip, holding her nose, downing the contents as unpainfully quick as she could, without wanting to gag on her insides. “Well, that unpleasant.” She felt sorry for mages at this point, no wonder they all conjugated together in buildings, sharing their suffering together, one bottle and poetry session after another, no wonder Altmers were so cocky.

 

“Please tell us you have a plan da’len.” Solas swayed his head to the side.

 

What the flying cliff racer was a ‘da’len,’ sounded like - well, she wasn’t sure. “Of course I do. Have faith, all we need now is two Dunmer’s, a mule and a carrot.”

 

Faelyn gives her a look.

 

“Just kidding,” She chuckles to herself. “I know a spell that might help us stay undiscovered - so, let's hope that works.”

 

“What spell?” Solas asks, raising a brow.

  

“The invisibility sort… I read about it.” She states avoiding suspicion.

 

Solas’ brow crinkles with the words and Faelyn is giving her an odd look in the corner of her eye.

 

“Unusual, is it similar to what Varric does?” Solas replies.

 

Who the fuck was Varric?

 

“Ah, yeah - somewhat.” She shrugged playing along, rubbing her hands together. This was either going to work great or go horribly wrong - and she wasn’t sure exactly how long it would last.

 

“Hold still and don’t try to scream., no one likes a screamer.” She noted, making Faelyn’s eyes widened. Spells never came to her easy, she was neither gifted in the magical sense nor did Raven ever pursue magic in any sense, other than help her in her line of work.

 

The purple magic crackled on her palms, swirling in a ball of light, lucky magic came from the essence, not from the body. She watched it glow, growing its mass, feeling it tingle on the tips of her fingers.

 

“Please don’t let me turn you into a donkey,” she sighed. Casting the magic upon him.

 

It didn’t matter in the end, Faelyn in any form would still be an ass.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another late update. 
> 
> I have to be in certain sort of mood to write this story, humour can't exactly be forced at will... especially for me.
> 
> Though I'll admit every time I reread my chapters on this, it as me screaming. "WTF" cause honestly I don't even know what I am on when I write this.


	39. Everything That’s Pretty Is Dangerous. (Especially You)

 

## Everything That’s Pretty Is Dangerous.

## (Especially You)

 

 

Raven fell on her knees heaving, she had never felt this puffed in her life. How far did she run? She had no idea, it was only to the gate and down the hill past the stable. “By the gods.” She murmured, landing on her back with the others standing around her while her pack laying the grass upon the grass, there was no way she was going to let the guards or even civilians by that matter take even a glimpse of Umbra poking out of the top her pack, all she needed right now was more attention from the wrong person.

 

“Just go on without me, let me die in peace.” Cullen rolled his golden eyes above her, nudging her with his firm boot. “I could carry you if you like, Inquisitor.” He said modestly making her groan more. “No, just give me five, I’ll catch up.” She gasped while Cullen shrugged his shoulders walking off to join Solas down the road. Now only her own eyes peered down at her, this was a terrible angle for her own face.

 

“Can you move.” Raven flicked her hand to the side.

 

“No.” Faelyn crossed his arms, grabbing her pack and heaving it over his shoulder.

 

“You need to work out, like seriously… your body is built like a fucking twig.”

 

“I am aware, I am an elven remember and a mage.”  He notes.

 

Raven huffs. “So, I am elven - half…” She groans. “And I can cast magic and still move without my whole body feeling on fire.”

 

“We can argue all day about how our races are different, or you can get up and stop being a baby so we can finally go home. I am sick of this place, it’s weird and I don’t like it, plus I miss setting things on fire.”

 

“You’re the one who sounds like a baby.” She hisses, knowing full well she wants to get out of this body as soon as possible.

 

And maybe, just maybe she wants to go back to his odd little land.

 

“Look, I am sorry about this whole situation, once Corypheus is dead things will get better.” He tells her, trying to be positive.

 

She sits slowly, hair full of leaves. “We’re talking about the future now - you have plans, huh? I've never heard you speak of the future before, you people always seem to be all doom and gloom.”

 

“Well, I was hoping to go back to my family, but...yeah, so I don’t know, and I definitely don’t want to be traveling anymore, maybe I’ll get a house in the middle of nowhere - somewhere people won't ask me to do shit. Now that I think about it, I would like to go to Minrathous...They treat even elven mages there good.”

 

She holds out her hand and Faelyn pulls her up as she dusts her knees off. “Well someone’s got plans, don’t you have some kind of godly power, why not take over and become an elven overlord, I know I would.” Raven shrugs.

 

He dips a brow. “Of course you would.”

 

“Damn straight, maybe I even will.” She jests.

 

He crosses his arms, walking beside her. “No, no you most certainly will not - _especially not in my body.”_

 

She laughs and agrees. “Yeah, definitely not in your useless body, I want to be sexy again first… And an overlord should be sexy, like all good villains from tales… just look at Solas.” She points ahead. “He’s Dagoth, and Dagoth Ur had a _killer_ body.”

 

“Had.” He points out, “Maybe twenty years ago.” He states, turning his head watching Solas walk.

 

“More like two-hundred and nine years ago.”

 

“Solas isn’t that old.”

 

“Older, I can tell.”

 

“No, you can’t.”

 

“Yeah I can, I have been around enough ancient fucking Dunmers to last a lifetime. You don’t get that cranky and buy your clothes from _The Feed Bag_ till you’re least one-hundred and forty.” Raven argues.

 

Faelyn huffs. “Elves don’t live that long.”

 

“Yeah but I will. well, maybe if I don’t get murdered somewhere along the way. You never know, a mammoth could fall out of the sky and hit me, it’s a cruel world.”

 

“That’s because you land is full of _bugs._ ”

 

Sometimes Faelyn didn’t make sense at all… there weren’t even mosquitoes here, just a lot of spiders.

 

Her thought was cut by Cullen calling out, picking berries from a juniper tree. “Are these eatable?” He looked to Faelyn, who just ended up shrugging, then gazed to Raven who did the same, she wasn’t from here and had no idea.

 

He looked closer. “They look _edible.”_ then proceeds to sniff them. “They smell… _edible.”_

 

Solas smacks them out of his hand. “Don’t.”

 

It’s all he ever has to say, maybe he is the only one out of them that has a shred of common sense.

 

She almost wants to ask how old Solas is, but felt it would only break her cover and maybe, just maybe he would be the only one smart enough to see through the facade, that and well, he was the only one who knew Lavellan enough to know that it wasn’t actually him.

 

All it would take would be her not knowing what he was saying in elven.

 

Then there was the matter of Cassandra, the dragon of the keep. She’d notice something, of course, she would.

 

But would she act on it? Raven had no idea.

 

Hours went by with endless walking, keeping her eye on Umbra that was placed firm on her back that was no longer her own, she was never going to get used to seeing herself from this angle, not ever.

 

Faelyn had her bow as well, everything that was hers.

 

And she had everything that was his, which was pretty much useless. Some shitty looking robes with pockets that felt full of sand. A wooden ring and a staff that did nothing, though it was armed with a deadly sword like point, she doubted if he'd ever actually used it, she couldn’t ever imagine him killing anyone...or anything in general.

 

Which wasn’t an overly bad thing, but this was a world where you either kill or get killed, there was nothing in between, there was no room to be soft nor gentle. Furthermore, for what it was worth, she didn’t want him to die. He was a pain in the ass but she still liked him…

 

‘Liked’ as in she tolerated his existence, which was more than she could say for most.

 

Maybe she even liked his company sometimes.

 

Sometimes.

 

Not always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Psst, Inquisitor.” Raven turned with a tap on the shoulder.

 

It was Cullen, standing tall without a speck of sweat upon his brow, which was less then she could say for self.   

 

“Maker this is - awkward, but may I have a few words?”

 

She nodded her head and slowed her pace to walk beside him. “This is about this morning, isn’t it?”

 

Cullen lowered his gaze. “Er...Yes.”

 

“Well, Cullen.” She shifts her aching shoulders. “It’s about time someone told you when a mummy and daddy elf love each other very much…”

 

He pulls her to the side. “I know how babies are made!” His voice hissed through his teeth, she likes seeing him turn red in the cheeks.

 

Raven pulls a sly smile, pushing Faelyn’s hair from her eyes, which is driving her mad. “Just checking.”

 

“Please just tell me… you aren’t -” He huffs with a pause. “Pursuing her.” His eye dart towards her body walking along, kicking a rock across the road.

 

“Why is it such a big deal?”

 

“Maker, don’t get me wrong, she seems like a nice girl, maybe a little prickly.” He cracks a smile, “But she’s trouble.”

 

Raven cringed.

 

Prickly?

 

_PRICKLY?_

 

That was the kindness insult she had ever received.

 

Raven didn’t know if she wanted to hug him or punch him in the throat. Though she agreed about the trouble part, obviously… it annoyed even herself.

 

“Well, I like her and I think she’s a wonderful personality.” She shrugs.

 

Cullen breaths out. “I didn’t mean to be offensive, and but you aren’t considering actually courting her? We know nothing about her people or this place except its crazy level of magic. I don’t know if even we want her kind in Thedas, imagine if she taught new magic or did something crazy… for all we know, she could grow to be worse than Corypheus.”

 

“Worse than Corypheus?” Raven sighed, she didn’t know who he was either, except for the weird things Faelyn had told her. “And trust me, she has much better things to do than train magic.”

 

“It’s still a possibility,” he affirms. “All I am saying is, keep an eye on her - and if anything, just be mindful that she may not be able to stay…I would hate for either of you to get hurt.”

 

“She’s not going unless I say otherwise.”

 

“Inquisitor…”

 

“My word is final.” Raven huffed keeping her anger in.

 

She knew she was a bad person, she didn’t follow rules or laws or even any firmly placed boundaries, but she always knew when to draw a line and not cross it. For fuck sake she was only here because they asked, she wasn’t all shades of grey.

 

She wasn’t all bad.

 

And hell, half of the people she did ended while working for the brotherhood deserved it. It wasn’t like she was taking out women and children, the world didn’t miss skooma dealers, rapists and bandit leaders, she was no different from any common mercenary.

 

The only difference between her and them as she was the one who got her hands dirty while they just barked the orders.

 

Raven could feel her rage building up by the second.

 

“Hey, pass the bow.” Faelyn turned, sliding it off his shoulder.

 

The bend was still noticeable, no matter what she did, but it would have to suffice for now as she pulled an ebony arrow from the quiver.

She asks him quietly. “Do you know how to use a bow?”

 

He purses his lips and shakes his head a little. “Not really, I always wanted too, but the Keeper kept me away, forcing me to train with magic instead of hunting.”

 

“That’s stupid.” She huffs and he agrees.

 

Yet it feels nice just to hold her bow again in...well not her hands, but close enough. “When was the last time you used one?”

 

“Before Skyhold at Haven, Sera tried to teach me, it didn’t end well.”

 

Sera, she remembered the sorry excuse of an elf, the one who insulted her ears of all things, normally people insulted her height or the light green hue to her skin, but never her ears of all things, she always thought she had pretty ears.

 

“Maybe she was just a shit teacher,” Raven says.

 

He sways his head, considering the thought. “Most likely, she’s not very patient.”

 

Neither can she fletch her arrows right, Raven rolled her eyes at the thought.

 

“Here, have a go.” She pushed her bow back into her own hand. “My body is the trained for it after all.”

 

Which was saying something, she had excellent upper body strength, unlike his.

 

He looked at for a moment before he took the bow and arrow and pulled back the string. Raven hit his elbow, “Raise it higher, yes...better.” This reminded her of when she first started to learn, how her own instructor used to get furious at her for her composure, although she was only but a child, not twenty-five.  

“Breath in.”

 

“What do I aim for?”

 

“Solas.” She laughed. “No, kidding, just aim for a tree, that one.”

 

She could almost see a smile brushed his face as he let go and missed by an inch.

 

“Damn.” He groaned. “Ah well, I am no rogue.”

 

“Thank fuck for that.” She chuckled as he walked ahead to collect the arrow ahead planted in the long grass.

 

When he turns she recognizes the smile, it’s not her own even on her face, it’s his...only Faelyn curls his lips with that coy ass smirk. He’s holding something behind his back, something small and easy to conceal, a blade?

 

No.

 

He turns briefly to make sure Cullen wasn’t watching, he was busy ahead walking with his eyes to the clouds and Faelyn’s hand peered before her clenching a...Er… Deathbell?

 

She laughs at the gesture, however sickly innocent it really is. “Are you trying to flirt or murder me, because those are poisonous.”

 

It falls from his fingers, flicking them with a shake of his fingers. “Ah, shit! Well, er… the thought that counts, rights?” He looks down and pouts turning it over with his boot. “Ugh, It was pretty.”

 

“Everything pretty in this world is dangerous.”

 

“I suppose that explains _you.”_

 

 

 

 

 

`

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact. Raven's original bow was actually going to be 'The Glass Bow of the Stag Prince' (The one you pickpocket from Falas Selvayn at the Ramshackle Trading Post.)
> 
> ...And I may have considered writing in Inigo with the Dragonborn at their first meeting... I mean seriously, what is Skyrim without Inigo?
> 
>  
> 
> And yeah, I've been putting watercolour art as page boarders because I thought it would interesting and light up the pages a little more. *Shrugs* it was a good idea in theory.


End file.
